Time to Panic
by ThisMutualWeirdness
Summary: Starting in 4x15 'Pandora'. Castle and Beckett find themselves in a sticky situation once again- locked in the trunk of a car. What if Beckett hadn't managed to get the trunk open and the scene were a little... different?
1. Chapter 1: Not That Roomy

The flashlight blinked on, illuminating the confined space in its glow. Beckett swept it downwards where it brought Castle's face out of the darkness. She quirked her eyebrow.

"Castle?" she whispered. His face was screwed up into a grimace, his hands clenched into fists by his head. It was almost adorable. "Castle, what are you doing?" His eyes opened slightly, flicking towards her.

"Bracing myself to shield you from a hail of bullets," he explained as it if were obvious, tensing his face again.

"Yeah, well that's very gallant of you but you can stop bracing. I think he left," she smirked, glancing around the trunk's interior.

"Ah. My life was passing before my eyes, I think I lost track of time," he relaxed slowly.

"What do you know about trunk latches?" she was already looking for a way to escape. If it were up to Castle they'd be there all day. He was reaching behind him, shifting his body against hers. She tried to focus on what he was saying.

"Ummm… Well, the bad news is, this one is not designed to open from the inside…" he sighed, fiddling with said latch.

"And the good news?" she queried hopefully.

"At least this time we're not handcuffed together." She glanced away in the pretext of examining their surroundings some more, trying not to smile as she remembered those maddening hours in that cellar.

"It's surprisingly roomy in here," he noted, shifting some more against her as he surveyed the area. Her stomach clenched a little. She could feel the warmth radiating from him, his breath gusting her cheek as he turned his head her way.

"Well it's not that roomy… sooner or later we're gonna run out of air. Gotta get out of here," she renewed her search for a means of escape. Her worries about the amount of air in the trunk were not her only concern.

"Well maybe someone will find us," he suggested.

"Castle, we are locked in the trunk of a car, in long term parking. It's gonna be hours before anyone realises we're missing," she tells him, exasperated by his optimism, "who do you think is gonna find us?"

"I just feel in situations like this, it's important to have faith…" he murmurs vaguely. She narrows her eyes and lifts her head to glare at him as she realises.

"You pressed the panic button didn't you?" she accuses.

"Well if their were ever a time to panic I think this is it," he protests, glancing around pointedly.

"I am…" she begins angrily, lifting her head further, furious now, desperate to put space between them.

"You should be thanking me!" he cuts her off.

"Oh I am _not _going to be rescued by your _girlfriend_," she bites out at him, shifting and squirming as she searches.

"Move Castle," she snaps, shoving her hand under his butt, groping for the crowbar she glimpses. She tries not to think about it right then, desperate only to get them out of there. He of course takes it the wrong way, letting out a series of surprised noises. "Just gotta get under there," she mutters, feeling her fingers clasp around the cool metal, the back of her hand rubbing against his jeans. She grunts a few times, instantly regretting it.

"What are you doing?" he demands as her hand continues to squirm under him.

"I got it," she grins triumphantly, finally drawing her hand out.

"What?"

"This!" she holds the crowbar up in the torchlight, "here." She reaches over him, slotting the bar into the latch and rotating it, trying to get it in properly so she can pop it open.

"Is it in?" she asks, trying to peer over him.

"To the left," he advises her. She's thankful he isn't calling her out on the innuendo. She's pissed off as it is.

"Scoot down," she orders him, using his firm stomach as a rest for her arm as she struggles.

"Push," he tells her and she does but nothing happens. After a few more tries she growls indignantly and tosses the bar to her side. They sit in the eerie glow of the flashlight for a few moments. Castle breaks the tense silence. "Looks like we'll have to wait for Sophia after all." He hears the angry puff of air she exhales.

"What's the big deal anyway?" he questions, a little confused by her seeming disdain for Sophia.

"There is no big deal," she snaps, crossing her arms tightly across her body. He sighs.

"Ok… and she's _not_ my girlfriend. Nor has she ever been," he tells her matter-of-factly.

"Could have fooled me," she mutters.

He turns his head towards her, smirking a little now as it dawns on him.

"You're jealous."

"I am _not_!" she exclaims, her cheeks flushed with anger as she turns her head to shoot daggers at him. He's still grinning smugly and she's struck by the proximity of his face and his sweet, coffee-flavoured breath tickling her lips. She needs to get out of there. _Now. _

"Woah!" he exclaims, squeaking in surprise as she rolls herself on top of him, keeping her face firmly turned away as she examines the latch, crowbar back in her hand. "What are you _doing?_" Castle cries as she slots the bar into position again, desperately trying to get it right.

"Just stay still," she hisses as he squirms beneath her. There's silence as he stills and she continues to fiddle with the latch. Her position is awkward and she can't bend her arm much so she shifts again, her hips rolling over his.

His gasp is loud, echoing around the trunk as his large hands clamp down on her hips, holding her still.

"Stop moving," Castle demands, his voice hoarse.

"Castle, let go of me," she grumbles, trying to shift again. This time he lets out a soft moan and as her pelvis grazes roughly against his she realises exactly what his problem is. She's so thankful for the dim lighting because she's blushing and this is awkward. So awkward. "Oh…" she breathes out.

"Don't say anything," Castle mumbles, his eyes screwed shut, "this is embarrassing as it is." She would smirk, she would laugh, rub this in. Except her heart is beating fast and she's feeling a little breathless and she's a little preoccupied with his broad chest pressed against hers, his fingers digging into her hips and _oh god_ something else digging into her lower stomach.

"Do you want me to get off?" she whispers after a few seconds of silence.

"I think movement would not help at all right now," he grits, eyes still shut, his face screwed into a look of apparent pain, "besides Sophia will be here in a moment." She scrunches her nose in anger, memory of why she was desperate enough to get out that she rolled on top of him coming back. Oh is she pissed and she's going to get him back for putting her in the mercy of his girlfriend. She rolls her hips rough and hard against his yet again and he chokes on his groan. His eyes snap open and their usual bright blue has deepened, his lids heavy. She knows that look and her breath catches in her throat. His hand releases her hip and curls into the hair at the back of her head. Before she can make a sound he's pulling her head down to his and his lips are capturing hers in a searing, biting kiss that makes her dizzy and mindless.

It wasn't supposed to lead to this. It had been a joke, a cruel one maybe. A way of getting back at him. This wasn't supposed to be happening. His tongue shouldn't be sweeping over hers and _oh god_ she wasn't supposed to be sucking his lower lip between her teeth and nipping down on it as her hands tangle in his hair. His lips graze down her jaw and neck to her throat, kissing, sucking, and biting as she moans in a way she'll cringe about later. But right then she doesn't care. She lifts her head, giving him better access as she grinds her pelvis down on his. He raises his head again, searching for, locating her mouth, recapturing it with his and sucking her tongue into his mouth. Her fingers grip his collar tightly, trying to pull him closer. His own, large yet gentle fingers skim under her jacket and top, brushing up the smooth, feverish skin, following the curve of her waist. She should be stopping him, but she isn't. She's just kissing him harder, urging him on with her mouth and tongue.

The sound of the latch popping tears into their fevered reverie. Beckett is whipping herself off of him and thumping back onto the trunk floor just as the lid rises and light floods in. They blink at the figure above them. The stern-faced, nameless agent who had 'escorted' them to the CIA headquarters. His stony façade is unchanged as he observes them flustered and dishevelled, breathing heavily as they squint at him. Without a word he holds up two black hoods. Beckett sits up and scowls, recovering first.

"Really?" she snaps, snatching one from him. Castle sits up too, looking dumbstruck, taking his own hood mutely. She sneaks a glance at him just before she pulls the hood down. Their eyes meet and she bites her lip, electricity running between them. Then there's blackness.


	2. Chapter 2: Save the World First

_A/N: The first chapter of this story was my first attempt at fan fiction and was only meant to be a one-shot (it was just something I imagined happening when I was re-watching Pandora a few days ago). But can I just say, thank you so much for the response so far, I was really nervous about it! Because you guys are lovely and a few of you asked for more, I've written another chapter... This is set a couple of days later in the next episode during the time they're in the CIA headquarters, waiting all night to find out who the 'Lynchpin' girl is. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Kate trailed her finger listlessly over the polished glass separation, tracing the letters of CIA again and again. She had never shared Castle's obsession with spies and conspiracies and the like, but even she had to admit, there was something exciting about being in the secret, underground headquarters. She briefly wondered how one goes about becoming a CIA agent. Then she quickly quashed the idea. She was fine where she was. She sighed and glanced around the room. It was anything but exciting right now. Mostly empty, the only break in the gloomy silence was the steady beep of the computer as it analysed the mountains in the back of the picture they had of the 'Lynchpin' girl. She let a soft smile play on her lips, proud of Castle's ingenious idea. Her eyes cut across to where Sophia was sat at a desk across the room, her eyes trained on a computer.

"_I wish we had never slept together… kept that longing…" _Sophia's words from earlier echoed in the back of her mind. As irritating as it was to admit to have anything in common with the CIA agent… she knew exactly what she was talking about. Though 'longing' wasn't the right word for it. Desperation was more apt. That fire that burned inside her every, single, damn day. Memories of what had happened in the trunk of that car surged back from where she had been repressing them and she couldn't stifle the soft gasp as her lips tingled in remembrance. His mouth and hands burning her skin… his body pressed against hers. She sighed again and pressed her forehead against the cold glass. Would it be the same for them? Was that all they had? That longing? What would they be without it? She let her fingers clench and unclench slowly before raising them to massage her temples. The beep of the computer had gone past infuriating a couple of hours ago. She needed a change of scenery. She needed coffee.

The break room wasn't exactly the change of scenery Kate wanted, but it had a coffee machine and that would have to do. She made her way down the long, sterile hallway, passing through into said break room before faltering just past the doorway. Her face softened as she let her eyes trace over Castle. He was propped up on the uncomfortable looking sofa, slumbering deeply with his mouth slightly open. She grinned slightly, biting her lip as she spotted the fleck of drool on the corner of his mouth. Without really considering what she was doing, she crossed the room and paused in front of him. Right then he looked more vulnerable then she had ever seen him, that little boy innocence evident in the soft lines of his face. Overwhelmed with emotion, she leant down and brushed her fingers across his cheek, cupping his jaw softly in them. Her lips pressed against his temple in a delicate, reverent kiss. She pulled away, not wanting to wake him.

Tearing herself away from his peaceful form, she turned to the coffee machine and thanked the coffee gods that it wasn't as complicated as the one Castle had got for the precinct. She still couldn't work that damn thing. Though maybe that was because she rarely needed to, Castle was always there to make it for her just the way she wanted. Pushing one of the 'CIA' emblazoned mugs that he had been so excited by under the machine, she hit the correct button and the black ambrosia began to stream into it, filling the room with its delicious smell. When she had two white coffees ready, she made her way back to Castle and placed the mugs down on the small table, slipping onto the sofa beside him. Still he slept on. She didn't mind. Here she had the chance to look at him without fear of the consequences. Suddenly she felt unable to simply look and she leaned forward, slipping her fingers into the hair on the back of his head, tangling them through the silky strands.

She smirked at how soft and fluffy it was. He probably used more hair product then _she_ did. He was such a metrosexual. The thought pulled a laugh out of her. It was a short, harsh laugh but it relieved some of the tension that this case had been building in her. The sound made him stir finally and his eyelids flickered slowly open. His piercing blue eyes focused blearily on her.

"Kate?" he murmured sleepily. She smiled softly at him, her heart pounding painfully with emotion as she surveyed him in his befuddled state. Her fingers continued to stroke through his hair, her thumb rubbing soft circles on the back of his neck.

"Hey Castle," she whispered back. He still look confused and she couldn't blame him. She was breaking every space boundary she had ever put up between them. Then again, they had already torn down and burned those boundaries in that trunk hadn't they? Her breathing became heavier and her teeth pressed down on her bottom lip as she remembered it again.

Castle seemed to have caught up with her line of thinking because his expression was quickly becoming more alert and his sea-blue eyes were darkening dangerously. She knew that she needed to move away, knew that there was no going back after this… Then she realised. It was too late. There had been no going back from the moment she walked into that book launch and he had offered to sign her chest four years ago. What would happen was inevitable. She kissed him. She crushed her mouth into his, sucking his shocked gasp between her lips and curling her fingers tightly in his hair, pulling him closer into her. He responded instantly, his arms coming up to wrap around, yank her body flush against his. His fingers tangled themselves in her hair and he pulled her head back so he could explore her mouth better, dipping his tongue inside, making her groan around it.

Her small hand slipped between the buttons on his shirt, fingers rubbing against his chest beneath, knuckles beading the flushed skin. He responded in kind, letting his own, large fingers trail under her jumper, dipping into the curve of her waist, slipping higher still. She groaned against his lips and in one swift movement she flipped herself up and round, straddling his hips. She took control, her mouth working its way to his ear, sucking his earlobe in, biting down on it. Her lips trailed down, sucking at the sensitive spot behind his ear, relishing in his groan and the way he jerked his pelvis up into hers. She continued her journey down, sucking, biting, licking. His head was thrown back now, giving her better access, eyes screwed shut as he gasped and whimpered. His large hands gripped her hips as he rolled his into her in a steady rhythm.

Her fingers found his top button and she popped it open, pressing a hot, open-mouthed kiss into the hollow of his throat.

"Kate…" he moaned loudly, as she ground herself down on him hard. Worried about attracting the attention of certain CIA agents, she clasped her hand tightly over his mouth as she continued to grind their groins together. He nipped at her fingers, surging his hips up to meet hers as they stared deep into each other eyes. They were both so close, they were climbing higher and higher together and- the sound of a klaxon ripped through the headquarters. Running footsteps and cries began to sound, tearing into their ecstasy.

"We've found her!" echoed down the corridor towards them. Kate's frustrated groan ripped from her lips and she let her head fall hard into his shoulder. He chuckled softly.

"Not funny," she muttered, biting him gently.

"No, it's painful," he admitted shuffling slightly underneath her, sending another jolt through her.

With gritted teeth, she swung herself off of him and turned away, trying to compose herself, taking deep breaths and straightening her clothes. She felt him come up behind her, his strong arms snaking around her waist.

"Hey," he murmured softly, pressed his lips to her ear, "we're going to finish that later. We just need to save the world first." She laughed softly despite herself and pulled away from him.

"First I think you have something to deal with before you head out there," she let her eyes flick pointedly down, smirking.

"Fair point," he agreed sheepishly, "I'll meet you out there." He turned swiftly and jogged away to the restrooms.

Kate returned to the main room to find everyone surrounding the projector.

"Where's Rick?" Sophia asked her.

"Oh, he's coming in a moment."

* * *

_A/N: I know! I'm sorry I stopped them before they could finish what they started again... but I thought that fit in well, they're always interrupted in any kind of moment (which drives us all crazy of course!). But don't worry, like Castle said, they will finish this later. I'll have the next (and last) chapter up sometime in the couple of days. (Just as a warning, the next chapter will be very M rated.)_


	3. Chapter 3: Pushing Back

_A/N: Took a little longer then I had hoped to write this... I kept re-writing and re-writing parts of it until I was satisfied. Enjoy!_

* * *

Kate let her eyes trace over his face, trying to gage his emotions. It hurt her when he hurt.

"Must be tough," she broached, "finding out that she's a traitor especially after you based Clara Strike on her and all…" She tried to word it carefully, be unbiased, neutral. Not so easy. She was almost glad she had a real reason to hate that woman now. Castle gave her a long look, his ocean-blue eyes dark and heavy in the dim office.

"Well, Clara started off as Sophia but… she ended up being more like you, you know," his lips quirked into a slight smile, "smart… fierce… _kind_." She listened quietly, her own mouth echoing his ghostly smile. "I think that's one of the reasons I was drawn to you… as a muse," he added. She let herself smile properly now, remembering a time she had threatened to cause him bodily harm if he referred to her as his 'muse'.

"Do you think Dr Blakeley was right?" he changed the subject quickly, shooting her a smirk, "about the lynchpin. Do you think we actually _saved the world_?" She was glad to see him cheer up a little.

"I think that… we saved a little girl's life," she grinned back up at him, "and that's enough for me." He nodded in agreement, hands still shoved in his pockets as she climbed to her feet, still beaming at him. She couldn't shake the grin from her face. She didn't know whether it was the adrenaline from solving the case, potentially saving the world or something different altogether…. Perhaps it was everything. As they passed out into the bullpen, her mind flashed back over the last, insane few days and she bit her lip as certain memories returned stronger then others.

As they moved towards the exit, she leaned against him, nudging him playfully with her arm. She knew it was juvenile but it was her way of saying that now would be a good time to carry on where they had left off. The adrenaline was pumping through her and all she wanted was Castle. He glanced her way, still smiling softly, but her bright eyes could read the sadness lining it. Her own suggestive smirk dropped away as they entered the elevator.

"How about we go for a round of 'we possibly just saved the world' burgers?" she tried. Really all she wanted was to catch a cab straight to his apartment.

"I'm… I'm tired. I think I'm just going to head… head home," he murmured, his eyes trained on the floor now. She let her head lean back against the cold metal wall; eyes dropping closed as she exhaled slowly. The doors squealed open and he shuffled out ahead.

"Tomorrow?" she called to him, clenching her jaw as she heard the slight hint of desperation in her own voice.

"Night Beckett," he muttered back so lowly she almost didn't catch it. Then he was gone, the front door swinging gently on its hinges, letting cold gusts of wind snap at her, as she stood there, frozen.

* * *

Her knuckles turned white on the steering wheel as she drove aimlessly, eyes blank. He had rejected her.

Had he?

Was she turning something that had nothing to do with her into something personal? No. She had thrown herself at him, made it clear what she wanted… he had walked away.

She had waited too long. A muted scream ripped from her lips as she gripped the steering wheel tighter, shaking herself, trembling with fury. _Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. _She yelled it at herself. _What did you think?_ _That he was going to wait forever?_

But he had said it. "We're going to finish that later…" Why would he say it if he had moved on? She had _felt_ it. In the way he kissed her, the way his hands and lips moved over her skin, burning, reverent. Nobody had touched her like that before. Like she was the most perfect thing on Earth.

No. This had to be something else. It had to be Sofia. It had to be his Father. Goddammit if he thought that she wasn't going to help him. She knew that he was pushing her away, but he had never let her do it, he had fought back and helped when she refused. She would do the same for him. They were partners.

The tyres screeched as she hit the brake and threw the car into a U-turn. Cringing as she ticked off the driving violations she had just breached, she hit down on the pedal and broke some more. In record speed she was squealing to a halt outside the loft and hurtling out of the car, not bothering to grab her coat or anything else. Pushed headfirst by her momentum, she flew forward, unable to halt herself as a figure ducked out of the door. Her body crashed into the large one of the man and she wobbled dangerously off balance on her tall heels. Big hands shot out to grip her upper arms tightly, steadying her and keeping her pressed against his broad chest.

"Kate?" the incredulous voice cried. The very voice she was desperate to hear.

"Castle!" she exhaled, throwing her hair back from her face so she could squint up at him.

"I was coming to see you…"

"I was on my way to yours…"

They stopped abruptly. Castle chuckled and she beamed in response, glad to see his crooked grin back.

"Why are you here?" he asked abruptly. She tried not to take offense; he _was_ on his way to find her.

"Don't push me away," she told him stoically, coming right out with it. They had danced around everything for four years. No more. "Because if you do it won't work. No matter how hard I pushed you away, you were always there, pushing back. So this is me, pushing back." It had sounded so much more coherent in her frazzled brain in the car. She sighed.

He was grinning. His beautiful, devastating mouth was pulled up into an enormous grin, his eyes glinting and his nose pink from the cold. Her fingers curled around his collar, tugging him down sharply and capturing his beaming mouth in a hard, searing kiss. When she finally pulled away he looked dazed and breathless, which only made her desperate to kiss him again. His hands still gripping her arms, he tugged her through the open door, staggering together until his back hit the elevator door. Her hand that wasn't tangled firmly in his hair reached out, fumbling for the button. The doors slipped open and they tumbled inwards, neither willing to let the other go. A raspy growl stirred in her throat as his mouth closed over her pulse point, sucking hard, teeth nipping at the sensitive skin. They couldn't get out of the elevator fast, tugging and yanking at each other in desperation and desire.

He fumbled frantically for his keys as she clung to his back, her lips roaming across neck, fingers shoved down the back of his pants.

"Woah! Woah! You have to stop or we are not going to make it into the apartment," he warned her, his voice tinged with a moan as her hand slipped further down. The heavy door finally crashed open and they fell through. Castle turned swiftly and grabbed her firmly, pushing her body up against the door, slamming it shut. His mouth attacked her skin, licking the beads of sweat that had gathered in their frenzy, tasting her finally.

"Castle," she gasped, arching her body into him, shaking as his mouth did things to her skin she had never thought possible, "your mother."

"Don't talk about my mother right now," he growled, tongue dipping into the curve of her throat, "she's out. Weekend retreat."

"Alexis," she choked, clutching at him desperately as his fingers trailed under her jumper, tugging at the hem.

"Crime. Scene. With. Lanie," he grunted each word between kisses he planted along her collarbone.

Kate opened her mouth again but he cut her off with his own.

"Stop talking," he growled against her lips. He could feel her smile beneath him.

"That's my line," she whispered as she bit down on his lower lip. In a second he was yanking her sweater up over her head, paying no attention to where it floated away. Her fingers attacked his shirt buttons, practically ripping them from the material while her lips sucked on each piece of flushed skin that was exposed until she reached the soft line of fine hair below his belly button. Straightening she pressed her palms into his bare chest and shoved him backwards.

"Bedroom. Now," she managed to gasp.

"Too far," he grumbled, yanking at her top. She pulled away slightly to allow him to draw it over her head, pulling it free of her waves, allowing them to cascade down over her bare shoulders and chest.

"There will be plenty of time for floor sex and wall sex and sofa sex and every kind of sex but this time, properly, on a bed. Now," she carried on pushing him backwards through the office door but he ground to a halt.

"Our first time is _not_ going to be on your desk," she growled but her breath was taken away as she caught the expression on his face. "What?"

"I love you," it came out as a choked gasp, as if the emotions were physically constricting his throat. The look of awe and adoration on his boyish face were too much.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked as his arm swept under her legs and he yanked her up into his chest, cradling her like a child. "Castle. Put me down. Right now. Castle!" Her fist beat against his bare chest but he ignored her and staggered forward to the bedroom. "What are you _doing_?" she demanded, still flailing.

"Our first time, I'm doing this properly… carrying you over the threshold!" he grunted, his face gleaming with joy.

"We are _not _newlyweds," she told him dryly, giving up as he flew them through the door. They tumbled down onto the bed, landing in a mess of tangled limbs.

Castle lay on top of Beckett for a few moments, breathing hard.

"You do wonders for a girl's ego, there I thought I was in good shape…" she rolled her eyes, lifting her head slightly to rub her lips across his jaw.

"Just not as young as I was," he grumbled, leaning above her on his elbows, a glint in his eyes, "your body is beyond perfect. _Perfect._" He accentuated the word with an open mouthed kiss to her throat. "In fact, it's goddess-like." Another press of his lips to her collarbone as his hand slipped under her back, expertly unsnapping her bra. "And I plan to worship it." The bra slid from her body and he cast it aside, his tongue tracing the curve of the underside of her breast. "Every single bit of it." Kate's back arched sharply, a gasp tearing from her bruised lips as his mouth closed around her hardened nipple, teeth tugging gently at it.

"Caaaastle," the elongated groan escaped her as his mouth continued to worship her. He grinned against her hipbone. He had always loved the way she said his name and hearing it now, dripping with lust and pleasure… it sent chills down his spine. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she tugged gently, pulling him back up to her. He gave her a quizzical look; she seemed to have been… enjoying his exploration. "Not now," she murmured throatily, her eyes heavy with arousal, "later. I need you inside me. _Now._" He hastened to comply.

Her jeans were unzipped and being ripped from her glorious, long legs within seconds as her own fingers ripped at his pants, cursing at him for having a complicated belt buckle. Finally his own pants had joined hers somewhere on the floor and he was leaning down to recapture her mouth in a hot, heavy kiss that made her eyes roll back and her toes curl. His fingers tucked themselves into the waistband of her underwear and tugged them down. He pulled back so he could roll them from her legs, pressing a gentle kiss into her ankle as he gazed at the glorious area between her legs that he had begun to believe he would never set eyes on. She was beautiful. All of her. His eyes flicked up and his throat seized as he took her in in her entire; naked, her bare skin flushed with desire, full lips puffy from his kisses, make up slightly smudged, glorious caramel waves in disarray around her face. Her breasts rose and fell heavily as she stared at him back, a soft smile playing at her lips, arms spread out across the bed, opening herself to him.

He shed his boxers and reached for the bedside cabinet, fumbling for a condom. His fingers, shaking from anticipation, tore clumsily at the foil and the condom fell onto the crumpled sheets. She propped herself up on her elbows and snagged the piece of rubber before he could. Her eyes trained firmly onto his as she reached out and pressed it against the head of his penis. His eyes, meeting hers grew a little wild as she slowly- achingly slowly- rolled it down the length of his shaft until her fingers brushed the base. He groaned heavily as her hand wrapped tightly around him and she tugged him downwards, her hazel eyes never leaving his. The intensity in their gaze grew and exploded as she brought him down to her opening, letting him feel how ready, how _desperate_ she was for him. Bracing himself by placing his hands on either side of her, pressing firmly down onto the mattress, Castle surged his hips forward, erasing the final distance between them.

Their matching gasps tore into the heavy air, shudders running through their sweaty bodies as they were both consumed with the feeling of him being inside her. He paused for a moment, only the head buried in her, allowing them to appreciate the ecstasy of being truly joined for a moment. Then with a deep breath he drove his body down, slamming the last few inches deep inside her. Kate cried out, collapsing back down onto the sheets. He followed her down, taking her lips with his, trying to convey all the emotions coursing through him into the kiss. He tried to tell her with his tongue and mouth and breath just how much this meant, being connected to her like this, to finally become one with her. He thought she understood and that she was replying in kind.

Suddenly he needed to move. He drew himself up, arching into the air before surging down into her again, jarring their hips together and eliciting another cry from her. He repeated the motion, again and again, his strokes becoming faster, harder as he built a rhythm. Kate flung her legs around his waist, locking them together, pressing her ankles into the small of his back-urging him on. A low, guttural, almost animalistic groan rose from her throat as he shifted angles slightly, his shaft now grazing hard against her clit every time he thrust into her. Her fingers clawed at his back, desperate for more. She could never get enough of him. Pleasure was erupting through her body and she was going to die from it and from him but she didn't care.

"Castle… _oh god, Castle!" _She began to chant his name, growing louder with each deep thrust inside her. He realised how close she was and he powered into her, the entire bed slamming backwards with each thrust. She had never climbed so high before and then he bit down hard on her nipple as he smashed their hips together yet again and she was screaming his name as she tipped forward into oblivion.

He felt her body spasm beneath his as her eyes rolled back into her head and it was all he needed to explode through to the other side with her. He clung to her with a desperation as he released.

"Kate," the whisper gusted over her cheek as he collapsed down onto her.

They lay there. Silent. A sweaty, trembling, tangle of limbs, panting heavily as one. After long, heavy minutes, Castle found the strength to disengage his arms and legs from hers and roll off. She made a soft, mewling noise, her arms reaching for him, eyes half shut. He grinned and leant down to kiss her softly. Then he stole away to the bathroom for a few seconds. When he returned, she was curled into a ball beneath the covers, surveying him with a soft, sated, sleepy expression. She reached for him again as soon as he slid under the covers, wrapping herself around him.

"Why Detective Beckett I had _no idea_ you were a cuddler," he teased, his strong arms drawing her lithe body closer into him.

"Tell anyone and I'll shoot you," she mumbled half-heartedly, snuggling her face into the crook of his neck which was warm and toasty and her new favourite place.

"I think I could get used to post-sex Kate," he murmured into her hair.

"Good, I'm planning for her to be around a lot," she slurred. But she had already drifted into a deep slumber before she could hear his reply.

* * *

_A/N: Okay, so I know I said this would be the last chapter... but... I'm really enjoying writing this. In fact, I've got some plans for a few more chapters. There'll be a lot of fluff, some fluffy smut and of course some comedy thrown in (because what is Castle without the comedy?). I also really want to explore how their secrets would come out_ _**after**__ they had gotten together and how the reaction might be different to the way they were exposed in 'Always'. I loved the way Marlowe did it all, of course 'Always' was beyond perfection. But it's just an interesting idea. Let me know what you thought of this chapter and my ideas for future ones. :) (So much for this being a one-shot!) ;)_


	4. Chapter 4: No More Lies

_A/N: Just another massive, massive thank you for the response to this. You are all perfect and wonderful. Enjoy!_

* * *

Kate wasn't sure what woke her but she was immediately aware of a deep-seated sense of pure contentment. Also there was a _delicious_ ache between her legs. She grinned slowly as images of the night began to flash through her mind, stretching out her arms, reaching for him. Her fingers gusted over crumpled sheets, cold and empty. Her eyes fluttered open and she frowned. The print of Castle's body was still there… just… but he had clearly left the bed a little while ago. Stretching, she sat up slowly and glanced at the neon numbers on the alarm clock just as it ticked over to the next minute, creeping closer to 3am. Yawning and rubbing sleep from her eyes; Kate slipped out of the bed and padded to the door. She didn't have to go far to find him. She faltered in the doorway, lolling against the frame as she took him in. He was sat at his desk, dressed only in boxers with his hair standing on end and his face heavy. He was staring hard at what looked like his graphic novel, not registering her presence.

"Hey," she murmured softly, trying not to startle him. He turned slowly to gaze at her. His eyes were bloodshot. Then his attention returned to the book on his desk. Beyond his appearance and silence, simply the fact that he had had no reaction at all to her stark naked body immediately gave her cause for concern. She padded forward, bare feet slapping against the polished floorboards in the deafening silence. As she approached she glanced down and saw what he was studying with such intent. The graphic novel was opened to a page with an illustration of Clara Strike on it. Kate sighed. She had been naïve to think that he wouldn't be hurting. Castle may put on a brave face and laugh it all off, but the woman had been an important part of his life for an entire year… She leaned against him; letting her arms trail around his shoulders, her cheek resting on his head, flattening some of the unruly hair. She marvelled for a moment at the fact that she was able to do _this_- to simply _touch_ him. He was rigid at first; unresponsive to her but she stayed silent and just held him until he relaxed into her arms.

"When somebody turns out to not be who you thought they were… when they turn out to be nothing but a lie… what does that make you? What does that make the relationship you had with them? The times you spent with them?" his voice was harsh, ragged. Bitterness seeped through it. "Is that all just a _lie_? A year of my life? A FUCKING LIE." His voice broke as he shouted the last sentence, his body trembling with rage. Kate just squeezed him tighter, holding him hard against her. "Do you know what she said to me? When she came here with Blakely's account details?" he demanded, "she said, _'try not to get yourself killed Rick. I'm still quite fond of you'. _The next day she held a gun to my head." He spat it all out. Still Kate said nothing. She had never seen this side of him, never seen him truly just let go. She stayed silent and let him let it all out. "You know what? I _believed_ her. I actually _believed_ her." He finally fell silent, simply breathing heavily into the night.

After a few moments he shifted and dragged her into his lap. His strong arms wrapped around her waist and his face nuzzled into her throat. Kate rested her chin on his head and let her fingers stroke gently through his hair.

"Thank you," he murmured against her skin.

"Always," she breathed the word that held so much meaning for them. He squeezed her tighter as she pressed a kiss against his forehead then slipped out of his embrace and found her feet.

"Come back to bed," she told him softly, slipping her hand around his neck, rubbing soothing circles with her thumb. He nodded, sighed and stood. Then he paused and glanced back at the graphic novel. Reaching down, he snagged the corner between his fingers and flipped it shut swiftly. Nodding again, firmly now, he wrapped his arms around her waist and they shuffled slowly back into the bedroom.

"May I mention that you appear to be delightfully naked," he growled into her ear as they approached the bed.

"I was wondering when you would notice that," she smirked, pressing back into the cloth of his boxers.

"Can I just say that as sexy as clothed you is… I think I much prefer you naked," he trailed his lips over her shoulder, "in fact, I think you should just forget clothes altogether."

"I'm not sure Gates would love me turning up at the precinct in my birthday suit," she laughed.

"New rule… no talking about Gates when we're in _comprising_ situations," he grumbled, hands curving down her waist and gusting over her bare hips.

Kate leant forward and slipped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down so she could capture his mouth with hers, sucking his bottom lip between her teeth. Without her heels the height difference was surprising. She had always enjoyed being equal in height or taller than most men yet she found she liked Castle's height and large breadth as he enveloped her body in his. She felt _safe_. Reluctantly, she slipped out of his hold, a smirk playing at her lips. His returning grin turning into a comical look of surprise as she reached up and pushed firmly against his chest, knocking him back onto the tangled sheets. Her smirk widened lecherously as she prowled forward, kneeling between his legs and leaning over him, her mussed hair trailing over his bare chest. Bending down, she pressed a reverent kiss above his left pec, trailing her lips down, letting her tongue flick over his nipple. He groaned and she smiled against his ribs. No matter what- she planned on spending the rest of her life discovering every part of his body that she could touch to make him sound like that.

Continuing her journey downwards, she traced her tongue along the jut of his pelvis bone until it hit the silky material of his boxers. Her fingers slipped beneath the waistband, tugging down firmly. He was quick to help her, arching his hips in the air so she could slide them easily from his waist and return them to their position on the clothes littered floor. Her lips trailed a path up his leg, sucking on the skin on the inside of his thigh. He jerked beneath her as her tongue delved into the crease of where his leg met his pelvis. Very carefully, cruelly, she kissed, sucked and licked at the skin surrounding his groin, her fingers slipping under to dig into his ass cheek. As he grew harder and larger and his moans becoming more desperate, she became more and more focused on everywhere _but_ where he wanted her mouth.

"Kaaaate," he groaned, tangling his fingers in her hair, nails digging into her scalp.

Finally feeling sorry for him, she raised her head and poked her tongue out, flicking it gently over the head, salt tingling her taste buds. His reaction was immediate, hips jerking, a low, guttural moan rumbling from his throat. Her tongue traced down the shaft, leaving a wet line of saliva that shone purple in the dim light. Following the line back up, she opened her mouth and enveloped the head in it, eliciting yet another agonised moan from Castle. She flicked her eyes up and found him propped up on his elbows, watching her with a look of pure, unadulterated awe and love. In a swift motion, she dropped her head down, forcing his penis deep into her mouth and throat until her lips buried themselves in his pubic hair.

"FUCK. Kate, Jesus Christ… Kate!" he shouted more blasphemies that would give a Priest a stroke as she repeated the motion a few times. Then she paused, her nose in his pubic hair again and swallowed, her throat muscle contracting tightly around him. "KATE," he cried, "you need to stop. Right now." He begged her, his fingers digging into the sheets as he desperately tried to hold back.

Kate let him slide out from her lips. Another time… but not now. Now she crawled up his body until she was straddling his waist firmly, his erection pressed up against her stomach. Reaching over, she found another condom and quickly slipped it onto him. She raised herself up above him and then very slowly sunk down, enveloping him within her. Their moans mingled in the heavy air. Castle's hand flew up to grab her hips as she began to grind into him, alternating between slow and soft, fast and hard. He picked up her rhythm, beginning to drive his hips up to meet hers, rolling them to graze her clit. His hands travelled up to curl around her breasts, squeezing hard, thumbs flicking over the nipples.

In one sudden motion, he grabbed her hips again and used his body weight to flip her over onto her back, his body pressing down onto her now. He knew that if he hadn't caught her by surprise that he would never have got one over on her. She didn't seem to mind, her hands were clawing at his back, hips surging up to meet his as she whispered and mewled his name into his ear. He reached behind him and grabbed her hands tightly, stretching them up above her head, pressing them down onto the pillow. His feet hooked around her ankles, pinning them down as he began to slide into her with slow, languid strokes. She squirmed and gasped beneath him, trying to pull her hands free. She wanted to _touch_ him. But he held on tightly as she dissolved beneath him from his aching, languorous strokes. His lips found hers, his tongue dipping slowly in and out of her mouth to match the thrust of his hips.

She lost track of how many times she orgasmed beneath him like that, it seemed to her to become a blank, overpowering string of pleasure that melted her brain and turned her into a trembling, mewling wreck. Finally he released inside her and she saw stars as she held onto him so tightly he could feel the finger-shaped bruises forming on his back.

The moment he was back in the bed he was dragging her to him, engulfing her limp body with his and stroking her heated skin until the trembles and spasms eventually faded away.

"Castle…" she exhaled slowly. In that word, in his name, he heard everything he needed to know. He squeezed her tighter to him, making sure she really was there. She was there, with him. _With him_. They were silent for a few minutes and Castle suspected that she had drifted back into sleep. His mind however was churning over all the moments that had lead them here, to right now. To all the things that had gotten in the way, the things that had nearly destroyed this.

"Sophia was trying to mess with us…" he muttered suddenly into the silence.

"Hmmm?" Kate murmured, apparently still awake.

"Sophia," he repeated, "I think she was trying to mess with my mind about you… make me question my feelings."

"Ditto," she mumbled against his throat.

"What did she say to you?" he asked, curious. He felt her shrug within his hold.

"Nothing really… some indirect things mainly."

Silence again.

"You know, I told her you were different and she _questioned_ that?" he sounded angry again. "At the time I just thought it was because she cared about me… that she was looking out for me. But now I think she was just doing it for the hell of it. Messing with me…"

"You talked to her about me?" Kate poked her head up from its cocoon to look at him, confused.

"Yeah, when she came… I…" his face morphed into an expression she didn't recognise. She thought he knew every look, every glance, but his face was formed into a blank look, his eyes widened, jaw tense.

"Castle?" her voice was nervous, bewildered. She raised herself higher, reaching out to stroke the strained muscles of his jaw.

"Lies…" he grunted, "no more lies." With a sudden movement that startled her, he leapt up, rolling from the bed. His face was determined now, eyes wild.

"Castle?" she repeated, sitting up and watching as he stood there, naked, hands tearing through his hair.

"Come with me," he told her firmly, leaning down to wrap his hands around her arms, pulling her gently from the bed.

His hand twined with hers and he tugged her from the room, back into the office. He let go of her by his desk and ducked behind it, grabbing at a small remote.

"What is going on Castle?" Kate asked him, fearful now, arms crossed tightly. He turned to her.

"Sophia told a lot of lies," he echoed her words from the precinct, "I don't want that to be us. I can't let this mess up… I _won't_ let that happen. Only truth from now on." She watched him, bewildered as he raised the remote and pointed it towards the large monitor behind him. The dark screen lit up immediately, bathing them both in an eerie glow. Kate stared at her own face in shock, her hands drifting slowly down to her sides.

Her eyes began to move, darting here and there over the screen that so resembled her own murder board, hidden in the shutters at her apartment. 'Who hired the sniper?' blazed out from under her picture. Pictures surrounded hers, her mother's… Lockwood's… Coonan's… Montgomery's…

"Castle… What is this?"

* * *

_A/N: Cue the dramatic music... ;) I've already got about half the next chapter done so you won't have to wait too long for Beckett's reaction. Reviews would be much appreciated if you have the time- let me know what I should do more of or what might not be working (but don't be too mean, this story has become my baby.) :p _


	5. Chapter 5: Long Night

_A/N: So this ended up a lot more angsty then I had planned... but I re-watched 'Always' to get some ideas and a feel for it and well... hell of a lot of emotions of course (I'm sure you'll be able to spot the parallels I couldn't help but include). Also, there was no easy way of getting through this secret was there? Anyway, I'll shut up now. Enjoy!_

* * *

"Castle… What is this?" her voice was raw, it was painful to speak. Suddenly she was all too aware of her nakedness. It made her feel exposed, vulnerable.

"Before Montgomery died, he sent a file to a friend of his, somebody who owed him his life… it contained information about the person responsible for your mother's death," he ploughed straight into it, afraid to stop. He forced himself to watch her face, his heart clenching as the hurt and realisation began to etch into her expression, "Montgomery was using this information to keep you and his family safe. There was one condition. You had to _stay away_ from the case. This man, Montgomery's friend, he has the same deal with them now… but he needed someone to steer you away."

Castle began to move towards her, edging his way around the desk.

"Castle…" her voice cracked with emotion, "please… no." She was moving backwards, away from him, her hands rising between them. He faltered, staring at her as his heart crushed itself within his chest. "Please," she begged him, her eyes closing as she tried to process it all. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. They stood there, frozen in place for what felt like an eternity. Finally she moved, opening her eyes. There was a blank look that made him gasp for breath. He knew that look. That was her pulling away, putting those walls back up.

"No," he choked. She looked at him, her eyes still dead…. but her hands by her sides were slowly clenching and unclenching, digging the nails into her palms again and again. Abruptly she moved, walking towards the bedroom. He stared after her. Then with heavy limbs he followed.

She was gathering her clothes from the floor, pulling them on. He strode forward grabbing her arm. She paused as she fumbled with her fly.

"Please don't do this," he begged her. Silently, she dislodged his arm and buttoned her jeans, reaching down to grab her shirt. Then she turned to him. Her arm rose slowly and she cupped his cheek, stroking her thumb along the day old stubble. It felt like a goodbye. "Kate…"

"I just need some air," she told him quietly, "I need to think. Alone." He let his gaze drop dejectedly. She sighed and leaned up, pressing her lips to his gently. "Ok?" He glanced up again quickly, eyes wary… hopeful.

"Ok," he nodded, clasping his hand over hers and squeezing. "Hurry back." She pulled away from him and entered the lounge, pulling her sweater on as she went, grabbing her gun holster from the couch. She cast a glance back at where he stood in the office doorway. He looked like a lost little boy and she ground her teeth down in pain as she quickly ripped her gaze away and slipped out through the front door.

Kate trailed the dark streets, arms wound tightly around herself in a vain attempt to fight the cold. Why hadn't she grabbed her jacket from her car as she passed it? An old man shuffled past her, eyes milky with age, face lined with decades of experience. His liver spotted mouth broke into a warm smile. She just about gathered the strength to send him a pathetic ghostly one in return. A particularly vicious gust of icy wind stabbed into the bare skin of her neck and hands and she shuddered violently. Glancing up with heavy eyes, she spotted a grimy diner across the road; it's neon lights blinking through the gloom. Hurrying over and shoving open the door, she sighed with relief as the warm air rushed out to envelope her. Sliding into a free booth at the back, she murmured her order to the waitress and let her head fall into her hands.

The waitress was back a moment later with steaming hot coffee in a stained, porcelain mug. She set it down in front of her with a look of complete boredom before slumping off. Kate picked up the mug, cradling it in her frozen hands, wincing as the god-like liquid burnt her tongue. Finally, setting the drink down again, she allowed her mind to return to Castle's office, the 'murder board' he had shown her and the Earth-shattering secrets he had revealed. Her mind and heart ached as she went over it all, trying to make sense of it, trying to make sense of how she felt. She was angry with him. She was hurt and upset. She wanted to never see him again. She wanted to curl back into his arms and never leave. She was relieved. Her fingers curled tightly around the mug, turning as white as the porcelain as she tried to organise her thoughts.

She needed to talk to someone. Her hand automatically slid into her back pocket, fishing her phone out and unlocking it. Her fingers hovered over the speed dial for Lanie. Then she paused. She really wanted to hear her friend's voice. She needed to tell her everything that had happened, let it all out so that she could begin to understand it. But it was 4 in the morning and Lanie had probably only just gotten to bed and had an early start tomorrow. Her finger briefly shifted over Espo's then Ryan's numbers. Then she shook her head and sighed heavily. _Don't be silly Kate._ She cared about the two boys deeply but it wasn't fair to bring them in on hers and Castle's problems. She knew that out of loyalty they would rally with her, blame him. But that wasn't fair. They were his friends too and he hadn't done anything wrong… She started as this thought slid through her mind. Had he? She stared down into the now cold coffee. The only person she really wanted to talk to was Castle.

* * *

Castle moved aimlessly through the loft. He had pulled his robe on and was now simply trailing from room to room, eyes blank and staring. Eventually he paused and dropped down onto the sofa, hands rubbing roughly at his face. He could still smell her on them. Could taste her in the air. He let his eyes slide shut and his mind flood with images of her that left him gasping for air. The silky, pale skin on the inside of her thigh… the feel of her hair brushing along his chest… the way she had moaned his name again and again… her teeth sinking into his shoulder… clinging onto him like she would never let go. He opened his eyes to find the marks on his body that proved she had really been there… that it hadn't just been a dream. His fingers traced over the slight bite marks on his collarbone, the vivid purple hickey on his wrist, crescent shaped nail impressions on his thigh. As he stared down at the faint, barely there shapes above his knee, they began to blur and cloud. A single tear fell onto them, clinging to the hairs of his leg. He had had her. And already he had lost her.

The sharp sound of a knock at the door sounded through the loft. His head snapped up, his heart hammering. On shaky legs he stood and made his way out into the hallway. His hand paused for a moment on the door handle… then he swung it open forcefully. The two stared at each other in long moments of silence. Beckett took him in, hair unruly, face crumpled in pain and… tears in his eyes.

"You came back," he whispered in wonder. Her throat clamped shut and she catapulted herself forward, slamming into his body. She grabbed his face and kissed him, her fingers curling around his ears, her mouth unable to press close enough. They pulled apart, foreheads pressed together.

"I'm so sorry Kate, I'm so sorry," he murmured.

"Shhh. Shhh no," she murmured back to him, hands stroking his cheeks. She pressed another kiss to his lips, gently, reverently.

"I couldn't lose you again… I can't lose you," he muttered. He could feel tears on his cheeks and he wasn't sure if they were his or hers.

"I know… I know," she murmured it against his lips, holding him tightly against her.

Neither of them were sure of how they ended up back in the bedroom, too engrossed and entwined in each other, barely moving apart as together they peeled off Kate's clothes again together. She pulled him into the bed, tugging at his arm so his body was over hers, pressing her down into the mattress, engulfing her, filling her. Their lips and fingers traced each other, pressing their prints into the other's skin, marking themselves there forever. They moved seamlessly together and as she moaned beneath his mouth, Kate remembered telling him he had no idea how good it would be. Neither did she. They were made for this… made for each other. Any other time she would have told you the idea of soul mates was ridiculous, but right then, right there in that moment as he consumed her so entirely, she might have believed.

"Long night," he murmured into her hair later as they lay cocooned beneath the blankets.

"You can say that again," she smiled softly, yawning and snuggling herself deeper into his arms.

* * *

_A/N: So... erm... yeah... angsty. Gotta say I enjoyed writing that more than I thought I would, even if it was a little upsetting. I promise the next chapters will be lighter with lots of fluff and smut. :) Still not sure how I'm going to approach the reveal of Kate's secret so there may be a teensy bit more angst too- I will definitely balance it with plenty of fun stuff though._

_I've been slightly neglecting a lot that I need to get done while I've been caught up writing this... so it may be a couple of days before the next chapter is up. I will be posting a smutty, fluffy one-shot set during Season 5, 'After Hours' that I wrote yesterday before then though, so check that out if you want. :)_


	6. Chapter 6: A Brief Morning

_A/N: Sorry I took so long with an update. Also I wrote this really quickly so very sorry if there are typos/spelling mistakes. Just a very fluffy chapter with some smut (definite **M** rating). I thought it was needed after that last chapter. Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. Enjoy!_

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the large windows, bathing the room in a soft, warm glow and settling gently on the slumbering pair, illuminating their peaceful faces and tightly entwined limbs. Kate woke slowly, becoming aware of the orange tinge of her inner eyelids and Castle's familiar smell enveloping her. She hummed deeply in contentment, letting herself simply lie in his embrace, a sleepy smile playing at her lips. Finally her eyes flickered gently open and she couldn't hold back the soft gasp as she took in Castle's face, no more than two inches from her own, relaxed in sleep. Her mind played back to the CIA headquarters, remembering how beautiful he had looked in sleep. It was true now too. All the lines of worry and age had faded into a boyish mask of innocence and peace. He looked _happy. _

She could have lain there all day, wrapped tightly in his strong arms, watching him sleep peacefully. Unfortunately her bladder was nudging at her irritably, demanding to be paid attention to. Carefully, very, very carefully, she slowly slipped out from Castle's embrace. He tried to hold her tighter, reach out for her again in sleep but she shuffled slowly away until he groaned and rolled over, tugging her pillow against his chest instead. Grinning, she pressed a kiss to his temple then slipped on his navy t-shirt from the previous evening, lying crumpled in a corner. It swamped her, hanging down to mid-thigh. Pinching the soft fabric, she brought it up to her nose and inhaled deeply, her eyes closing as she was overwhelmed with his scent. She almost crawled right back into the bed with him. Instead, she sighed and padded away to the bathroom.

Standing over the sink minutes later, she stared at herself in the obscenely big mirror, large eyes scanning over her appearance. Her hair was wild, the normally careful waves bunching into tight curls that fell over her shoulders. She cursed as she spotted the vivid, red hickey staining the skin just below her jaw. She was going to _kill_ him. Then she grinned again. She was actually _glowing_. Lanie was going to have a field day. Shaking her head as she imagined her best friend's reaction to all of this, Kate left the bathroom and crossed the bedroom, passing into the study. Castle still slept deeply but she was too awake now. In fact, she hadn't felt this well rested in a very long time. She stretched out her newly revitalised body as she headed towards the kitchen in search of coffee.

"Richard?" a terribly familiar voice sing-songed from the stairs. Kate froze in horror; leg still raised as her eyes flicked in the direction of the sound. A moment later, Martha came sweeping from the foot of the staircase, her embroidered robe flowing behind her as she began to speak again. Then the second woman stopped dead too, her eyes widening a little as she took in the detective. Kate let her foot sink to the floor, turning slowly to face the older woman with a sheepish expression. She tugged at the hem of the t-shirt, trying to cover more of her legs and _really_ trying not to dwell on the fact that she was wearing nothing underneath it.

"Martha," she murmured quietly, trying to smile. It came out more like a pained grimace. The actress appeared to recover from her surprise, her face breaking into a radiant beam.

"Kate, darling!" Martha exclaimed, gliding towards her. Before Kate had a moment to prepare, she was being swept into the woman's arms and squeezed tightly. Her mouth dropped and she froze in a spasm of shock as she was hugged within an inch of her life.

Finally Martha released her, stepping back and still beaming.

"Congratulations my love!" she cried with her actresses' flare. Kate's mouth slammed shut abruptly and her eyebrows shot up. "I'm so happy for you both. This is _fantastic._ It's about time you two found some joy! Oh this is just wonderful!" She drew Kate to her again, pressed a kiss to both her cheeks and swept back up the stairs and out of sight. Beckett stood there in stunned silence, arms slightly raised, face more than slightly dazed.

Eventually, she began to recover from the bizarre encounter and she regained the function of her limbs. As she started to move towards the kitchen again, she even began to smile, shaking her head slightly at Martha's joy. At least that was one person they wouldn't have to 'break the news too'. Her smile became a small scowl as she thought about the other people they would eventually have to tell. The boys' teasing was going to be _merciless_.

Kate paused in front of the coffee machine. Her scowl deepened as she took in the shiny, futuristic-looking contraption. Why was it always so damned complicated to get a simple cup of coffee? Turning, she began to hunt through the cupboards in a desperate search for instant granules. When she had almost given up hope, she found them, tucked away in a lonely corner, unopened and who knew how old. She wasn't fussy- caffeine was caffeine. As she prepared two large mugs of the stuff, she hummed a tune, shimmying across the shiny tiles and really grinning for the first time in as long as she could remember. How long since she had felt this _free_?

Clutching the steaming mugs in her hands, Kate surveyed the main area of the flat carefully- she had no desire to run into anymore inhabitants of the loft this early in the morning. Quickly, she hurried across to the study and in a minute she was back in the bedroom, placing the coffees onto the bedside tables and slipping back beneath the covers. Castle had let the pillow go from his death grip and was slumbering gently on his side, facing her. Scooting down, Kate slid over to him and propped herself up on her elbow, eyes bright as she surveyed him. Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to his mouth, fingers trailing softly through his hair. He smiled against her lips but slept soundly on. Kate frowned down at him. Much as she liked him asleep (and silent for once), she really wanted to him to wake up now. Leaning down again, she tried another tactic. Her lips brushed against his jaw, following the line up to his temple then down across his ear. She sucked the soft lobe between her lips and bit down gently. It had the affect she wanted.

"Mmm, I could get used to waking up like this," he mumbled sleepily.

"Good," she whispered, lying beside him on the pillow. His arms slipped around her, pulling her tightly against him.

"What are you wearing?" he grumbled, frowning down beneath the covers.

"Your t-shirt," she shrugged.

"Why? Take it off," he whined, nuzzling his nose into her neck. Laughing, Kate quickly disposed of the offensive item and snuggled into his chest again, relishing the feel of their bare skin pressed together.

"Hi," she murmured softly, hazel eyes sparkling as they met his own radiant blue ones.

"Hi," he grinned, shifting his head forward so he could capture her mouth in a deep, slow kiss. "I missed you."

"I didn't go anywhere," she frowned, and then grimaced as she re-called her abrupt departure the night before. He smoothed away the lines on her forehead with his thumb.

"I mean while I was sleeping," he explained.

"How can you miss me when you're fast asleep?" she scoffed.

"Can you just let me be romantic please?" he grumbled irritably. Her laughter lit up the room and she swept forward, pressing a hard kiss to his pouting lips.

Castle's annoyance left him immediately and his hands came up to tangle in her messy hair, pulling her closer, his tongue pushing past her grinning lips to sweep over hers. She moaned softly into his mouth, fingers digging into his back as she rolled them so she lay flat on top of him, every crevice of her body moulding into his.

"Beckett," he groaned against her throat as she ground her pelvis down across his. She paused, raising her head and propping herself up with her elbows on either side of him. "What?"

"I'm Beckett at work," she told him seriously, "don't call me that here. Here I'm just Kate. I don't want to be Detective Beckett when we're in bed. I just want it to be you and me. No corpses or murderers or grieving families. And I _definitely_ don't want to be thinking about Ryan and Esposito right now." He grinned and nodded in understanding.

"Okay, but when we use the handcuffs can I pleaseeee call you Detective?" he begged.

"_When_?" she arched her eyebrow. He bit his lip and looked up at her hopefully. "I'll think about it Castle," she laughed, leaning down to kiss him again, sighing against his lips.

"What?" she asked, frustrated when he pulled back.

"Well… Castle is what you call me at work too…" he pointed out.

"What? You prefer Rick?" she sighed, she could think of a million other things his lips could be doing right now.

"No, no," he shook his head quickly, grimacing, "you only call me Rick when you're _mad_." She chuckled despite herself.

"You know, I could always call you _Richard," _she drawled, tracing her lips across his cheekbone. She felt him shudder beneath her.

"_No_," he shook his head resolutely, looking a little disgusted, "only my Mother calls me that."

"How about we stick to _Castle_, okay?" she laughed.

"Yeah, I mean, it's kind of yours anyway, no one called me Castle until I met you… I was always Rick or Ricky and…" he rambled.

"Shut up now," she growled, kissing him hard.

"Yes _Detective_," he grinned against her mouth. She bit his lip, hard.

With a gasp, his hands tightened in her hair and he pulled her head closer against his. In a swift movement, he flipped her over, pinning her under his body, lips skimming down her skin to suck hard on her pulse point. His hands trailed downwards, following the curve of her waist and coming to a rest on her hips, holding them tightly as he ground their groins together hard. Kate gasped, arching her hips up and into him, short nails clawing at his back.

"Condom. Now," she groaned between gasps. He was desperate to be inside her again but right now he needed to do something that he had wanted for a very long time. He tightened his grip on her squirming hips and trailed his lips across her throat and chest, sucking at the sensitive skin of her breasts. His lips closed around a dark nipple, teeth sinking in gently, making her jerk with pleasure again. He didn't pause for long, his lips continuing their way southwards over the defined muscles of her stomach as he slipped beneath the covers.

Kate's breathing grew heavy as his mouth journeyed further down, pressing a bruising kiss against her hipbone. He let his tongue slip out and delve into the soft skin where her leg met her pelvis. Her hands shot upwards, curling around the headboard for support as a moan slipped past her lips. Castle grinned against the inside of her thigh, breathing in deeply. His fingers curled under her knees, drawing her legs open slowly. He teased her gently, lips grazing up her thigh before stopping again and again just as his nose hit the soft curls.

"Castle," she groaned his name like a curse word and it turned him on so much he almost simply got up again to drive himself into her. But no, this was about her.

Finally, when she was trembling beneath his hands and lips, he moved quickly, opening her soaking folds with his mouth and sucking hard on her clit. Kate cried out loudly, jerking upwards so hard her head banged against the headboard. Without pause, he slid his tongue upwards, moaning softly into her as her juices tingled across the surface of it.

"God Kate," he groaned, clutching her hips tighter. She was so wet. For _him. _He would never get over that. She wanted _him. _Spurred on by this thought, he dug his fingers into her skin and thrust his tongue as deep inside her moist, warm hole as he could.

"Caaaastle," she exhaled in a long, drawn out moan. His tongue began a hard, thrusting rhythm as she squirmed and jerked beneath him, trying to drive her groin into his face. He held her tightly, his rhythm relentless, nose grazing hard against her clit as she chanted his name in reverent, desperate whispers. Her eyes were open, staring at the ceiling but she couldn't see a thing. She was all consumed with lust and unparalleled pleasure, her body erupting in waves of ecstasy that made her skin turn pink with heat and her muscles spasm with every lunge of his skilled tongue.

A scream ripped from her rough, bitten lips as every part of her body locked hard, her back snapping into a sharp curve, groin slamming into his face. Her vision went white as her entire body convulsed and she sank back down slowly. Castle didn't stop. He hung onto her hips and moved up, sucking her clit into the hot, insistent cavern of his mouth and rolling the rock hard bud roughly between his lips and tongue, teeth grazing it gently. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't say his name. Her body shook with spasms as it came down from its orgasm and was forced upwards again to another one. Her mind went blank, non-words strewing from her mouth in a babble, eyes rolling to the back of her head. Finally he slowed his assault on her clitoris to a stop.

Castle moved slowly up, hands stroking gently over her body, which was racked with heavy trembling. He reached her face to find her eyes closed and mouth slightly open. He let his hand cup her face, thumb rubbing gentle circles over her sharp cheekbones, giving her time to recover. Finally, her eyes flickered open but they had a haze over them like she wasn't quite there.

"You okay?" he murmured. She blinked slowly and awareness returned to her gaze. She nodded.

"Oh Castle," she whispered. She tried to reach for him but she still didn't have full control of her limbs. He knew what she wanted and he dipped his head, pressing the gentlest of kisses to her lips. Raising himself up again he smiled down at her, so overwhelmed with love and emotion. This beautiful, strong, amazing woman that he had loved for so long was finally here in his arms, looking at him like she never wanted to see another face again.

Feeling tears stinging his eyes, he coughed and sat up a little, feigning the need to stretch. His gaze settled on the two mugs on the bedside table and he grinned.

"You made coffee?" he asked.

"Yeah," she murmured, eyes closed again and curled into a foetal position against his side, "probably cold now though." Her voice was a little slurred and muffled as she snuggled her face against his ribs and he grinned down at her again. She was the sexiest woman he knew but he had no idea how she also managed to be ridiculously adorable. He leaned over her carefully and grabbed one of the coffee mugs. She was right, it was stone cold. He took a sip anyway, craving the caffeine and he spat it straight back into the mug, nose crinkling in disgust.

"How did you even find instant coffee in my house?" he cried, shuddering at the idea.

"Your machine… too shiny… silly…" she mumbled. He glanced down but she was already asleep.

Quietly, Castle placed the mug on the table by his side then slipped down beneath the covers. His arms curved around her limp body, drawing her to him. Her hand came up in sleep and pressed itself to his chest, right over his steadily beating heart. He smiled softly at this unconscious gesture and touched his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss. Moments later he had joined her in a deep, untroubled slumber.

* * *

_A/N: Hope you guys liked it. I know there's not really any plot but I promise the next chapter will have some more 'depth' to it. Also possibly some angst, we'll see. ;) I'm going away for a few days so probably won't be able to post it until the New Year but will try to get it up soon. Have a lovely NYE! _


	7. Chapter 7: Always You

_A/N: A massive, massive thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this and fav/follow it. You're all wonderful. The reviews always make my day!_

* * *

The shrill, electronic beep sliced through the gentle quiet, disturbing the heavy air and the two sleeping figures. Kate's eyes snapped open immediately, her entire body tensing as she took in the unfamiliar ceiling. Her hand snapped outwards, fingers curling tightly around the cool metal of her gun on the bedside table. The body beside her stirred, groaning something incomprehensible and the familiar voice and his warm smell washed over her. Immediately she relaxed, her painfully coiled muscles loosening. She let go of the weapon. The piercing noise continued.

"Whazzat?" Castle slurred drowsily, one bleary, blue eye peeking open at her.

"My alarm," she sighed, rubbing sleep from her lashes.

"Make it stop," he whined, pressing his face into the nearest pillow and covering his ears petulantly. Smirking, Kate raised herself onto her elbows and grabbed the offending phone from the bedside table, silencing it immediately. An arm reached out and hooked around her waist, drawing her quickly into his body. "Back to sleep," he mumbled, "too early to get up." She placed a simple kiss into his collarbone, lips lingering for a moment.

"It's one in the afternoon Castle," she told him patiently, "I have to get going."

This drew his alert attention, his face emerging from its pillow-y sanctuary.

"But it's your day off," he frowned, nose crinkling adorably. Leaning forward, she pressed her mouth to his skin again, smoothing out the creases with her lips.

"It's not work… I have… a doctor's appointment." He noted her averted gaze, eyes following the long fingers dragging through her wild curls. His head rose further.

"What for? Are you sick?" he demanded. She heard the stab of worry in his voice and hurried to soothe it.

"No, no. Not a… medical Doctor. It's with a therapist," she rushed it out; dropping her eyes again, fingers curling around her own wrist. A moment's silence.

"Oh." Her eyes flicked up again in surprise.

"Oh? The great writer Richard Castle can only muster an 'oh'?" she half-teased, worrying her lip between her teeth.

"Sorry… I was just surprised," he offered, "but thanks for acknowledging my greatness." Her pinch to the soft flesh of his earlobe elicited a girlish shriek. More silence as he rubbed the tender spot in an overly aggrieved manner.

"So what do you talk about with this therapist?" he asked carefully. Then his eyes widened comically and his voice hit a new octave of high, "Oh my god! Do you talk about _me?_" He dodged away from a second pinch just in time.

"It's none of your business Castle," she grumbled, trying to roll away from him in an effort to conceal the slight blush. Damn that man, she was _not_ a blusher. The arm curled around her waist stopped her, yanking her tighter instead. In a flash he had rolled closer, his large body partially covering hers. Kate's breath caught in her throat as his lips grazed her shoulder and gentle fingers brushed over her hipbone. It was going to be _so much_ harder to be annoyed with him when he could touch her like this.

"I beg to differ," he drawled, looking up into her eyes steadily. There was a glint in his ocean-blue ones. Despite her best effort, her lips slipped into a small smile.

"Fine. Yes. I talk about you sometimes," she affirmed reluctantly.

"Only sometimes?" he gave her an affronted look.

"Sometimes may be an over exaggeration," she shrugged.

"Low blow Detective," he pouted. Her laugh lit up her face, all irritation wiped free and he grinned back, desperately in awe of her beauty. As always. Darting forward, he captured her open mouth with his, sucking hard on her bottom lip and drawing a coveted gasp from her. As Kate returned the kiss with fervour, she grinned against his lips. He would never know just how much of her allotted time with Doctor Burke was centred around the boyish writer. His ego was big enough.

The kiss began to deepen, heat dissolving between in them in hungry moans and Castle shifted himself further over her arching body, pressing her firmly into the mattress, his hands wandering across her flushed skin. His lips found the sensitive area in the dip of her collarbone that he had discovered last night and she groaned into his crumpled hair. Lithe fingers tangled themselves in the messy locks and she tugged his head up, gently but firmly.

"What?" he asked disgruntled, "I was about to do something involving my tongue and your nipple that was going to blow your mind."

"You'll have to blow my mind another time Castle," she arched an eyebrow, biting down on her lip as she considered what he had planned with his tongue, more than a little disappointed too, "I'm going to be late.

"Big deal!" he laughed, leaning down to follow the line of her jaw with his lips, "they say sex is _very_ therapeutic."

Immediately Castle knew he had said something wrong. She stiffened beneath him and her long fingers came up and prodded him hard in the chest, forcing him to roll off of her with a yelp. Kate sat up quickly, brow furrowed and a scowl transforming her face. He flinched a little but he was well accustomed to these looks. He even allowed himself to relax a tiny bit- he had been treated to far worst Beckett-glares over the years.

"What?" he dared to ask. Her eyes narrowed further at his calm tone.

"It isn't a joke," she told him, voice clipped and sharp.

"I know it isn't," he sighed, "I'm sorry. But don't you think you're overreacting a little bit?" Her nostrils flared and he tensed a little. Now he had really pissed her off. She opened her mouth as if to say something then slammed it shut again. With an angry flourish of her head, she rolled out of the bed in a graceful arc, yanking the covers with her, exposing his naked body to the cool air.

"Hey!" he cried as she wrapped the sheets around herself, "What are you doing?"

"Getting dressed," she grunted, stretching under the bed to retrieve her underwear.

Castle scrambled up onto his knees, crawling towards her quickly.

"Ok, I know I've annoyed you for some reason, but hiding your glorious body from me is just cruel," he held his large hands up, palms facing her. She stopped trying to awkwardly pull her pants up under the sheet and turned back to him, jaw clenched.

"_That's_ the problem Castle," she growled, "you just can't take anything seriously. Ever. Everything is a joke to you." He sat back abruptly on his heels, playful smirk wiping from his face and being replaced with a soft expression of hurt. They stared at each other.

"That's not true and you know it," his voice was low and deep, "but this is who I am Kate. I'm the guy who makes jokes, who's always trying to make you laugh. I thought you liked that. Liked _me._" Her face softened immediately and she stumbled forward, sheet falling to the floorboards, forgotten as she tumbled into him. He caught her too late, letting out a noise of surprise as they fell backwards onto the mattress together. Her lips covered his face, kissing away every line of hurt that she had caused.

She pulled back, hands pressing into the sides of his head, her own face so close that she could see the flecks of gold in his sapphire irises.

"You're so stupid sometimes," she murmured, her breath caressing his open lips. He squinted up at her.

"I should get an award for dealing with your mood swings. One moment you're furious with me, the next you devour my face and now you're insulting my intelligence," he sniffed. She sucked his top lip into her mouth, rolling her tongue over it, her face spreading into a grin.

"You're stupid," she repeated, "how could you ever think I only _like_ you?" She felt his lips quirk into a smile, mirroring hers. "I'm still annoyed with you though." Her hands countered her words, tracing over his ribs and gusting over the bare skin of his thighs. His groaned against the soft alcove of her throat as she wrapped her fingers tightly around him, palm stroking slowly up and down his length.

"I'm still not sure what I did," he gasped, fingers fumbling at her fly. She bit down hard on his earlobe, making him gasp and groan simultaneously.

"My therapy is _not_ a joke," she growled as his hand slipped inside her jeans, fingers playing at her underwear, "It's not just for me." She gasped loudly, back arching as his fingers slipped past the lace and grazed hard against her clit.

"What do you mean?" he whispered it softly against her skin as his finger rubbed hard circles before slipping inside her deeply. There was silence apart from her desperate, harsh moans as she ground her pelvis into him, forcing his index finger further within.

"_This_," she sighed, pressing herself harder against his heaving body, fingers squeezing tightly as she relished his loud gasp, "without Dr Burke this wouldn't have happened." Her other hand slipped beneath him, nails digging into his ass cheek. "Without my therapy I wouldn't…" she trailed off, eyes closing as he slipped another fingers inside her, working up a steady rhythm, his rough thumb massaging a beat against her clitoris.

"You, always you," she choked; jerking as a third finger was thrust inside her.

Finally, he slid his extremities from her with a soft pop and his wet, warm mouth engulfed her nipple, teeth worrying it roughly. Eyes slamming shut in ecstasy, she led him into her, breath expanding in her throat as he drove inside with a single, hard thrust. Her fingers grabbed at his hair tightly, teeth sinking into his shoulder.

"Castle," she groaned, voice muffled. His fingers gripped her hips, arching up into her, spurred on by his name. He had dreamed of her lips gasping his name like that more times then he could imagine. His hips began to thrust upwards, jarring their hips together. She gripped him tightly, face buried in his neck as she gyrated her pelvis with his. In a quick, fluid motion he sat up, dragging her into his lap, thighs trapping her as he continued to thrust his hips forward. Kate groaned loudly, arching against him, her flushed breasts pressing against his chest. Leaning his head down, Castle brushed her chestnut waves from her shoulder and latched his mouth onto her neck sucking and nipping at the skin.

"Don't you dare give me another hickey Castle," she growled, tugging at his hair hard. His deep laugh shook them, their gasps mingling as it spread to where they were connected.

Castle let his fingers slip down between their sweat drenched bodies, pressing hard against her, feeling where he slid in and out of her. He pinched her clit between his thumb and forefinger, tugging not-so-gently. She arched again; screaming a blasphemy and his name, face burying into his hair.

"Come for me Kate," he whispered against her skin. It was all she needed. Her body shook with spasms of ecstasy and she clenched down hard around him as her orgasm rolled through in waves. Castle kept his eyes open as he hit his own orgasm, watching her face transform into an almost tortured grimace of unadulterated pleasure as he thrust into her slowly the last few times.

He fell backwards onto the sheets, pulling her with him where she came to rest limply on his chest, rising and falling with his heavy breaths. Her toes curled against his calf and she lifted her head softly, eyes finding the dials on her father's watch.

"Shit," she grunted, jerking up quickly and catapulting out of the bed, fingers hurriedly re-doing her fly as she hunted for her bra. "I'm going to be late. I'll have to go like this with no shower or change." Lazily, he watched her fret and moan from the bed, frowning as her glorious body was covered with clothing again.

She tugged on her boots then turned to face him, stopping as she surveyed him, naked body sprawled across the tangled sheets, heavy lidded eyes watching her warmly. Her heart thudded hard and she crawled quickly across the bed and swooped down to capture his mouth in a long, deep kiss. When she pulled away he was breathless, eyes glazed and face dazed.

"What was that?" he exhaled finally.

"Something to remember me with," she grinned.

"Oh don't worry, I have _plenty_ of memories to last me," he leered, fingers hooking in the belt hole of her jeans. Reaching down, she untangled his hand and moved away from his reaching arms.

His voice made her pause at the door.

"Will I see you later?" he called out. Her heart clenched at the worried uncertainty in his voice.

"Of course," she told him softly, glancing back, "I'll call you okay?" He nodded and gave her a soft smile. She returned it before slipping out the door quietly.

* * *

_A/N: Hope everyone had a lovely NYE. Initially this chapter also had her session with Dr Burke but it became really long so I decided to split it into two. Seeing as the next chapter is already mostly written, it'll probably be up tomorrow. I think this fic will be drawing to a close soon, but there's a couple of things that I want to deal with first (especially Castle finding out Kate's secret). So there should be a few more chapters still, but not many. I'll be posting another fic set during Significant Others very soon too. Speaking of which... e__veryone excited that the hiatus is nearly over? :D _


	8. Chapter 8: Not That Simple

_A/N: I am so sorry that this update took so long. I started back at Uni and work and well, deadlines, exams etc. kind of got on top of me. Here's the promised session with Dr Burke and what Castle gets up to meantime. Enjoy!_

* * *

The loft was silent. Too silent. Castle shifted and strained his ears, trying to hear the tell tale sounds of the other occupants. Nothing. Silence. He sighed. Alexis must be with Lanie again, at some crime scene or other or holed up in the morgue. She was working harder and longer at this internship than she had at any other.

He had long given up the idea of knowing or _wanting_ to know what his mother did with her time. With another exaggerated sigh, he turned over and buried himself deep in the covers and numerous pillows. Immediately he was overwhelmed with her scent, fingers gusting over the warmth that still lingered from her body. With a groan he sat up, fingers tugging at tangled hair. There was no way he would be able to get back to sleep with her presence all around him. There was a physical _ache_ in his stomach at the lack of her being there. He wanted, no, needed to touch her. Wrap his arms around her and never let go.

Shaking his head, he rolled out of the bed and wondered how it was even possible for someone to need another person the way he needed her. She was like oxygen to him. As he grabbed pyjama bottoms from a draw he grimaced. Had he really just thought that? The short, snorting laugh echoed in the quiet. She had turned him into a walking Mills & Boon novel. Stretching a t-shirt over his broad chest, Castle yawned and ambled out through the study, heading towards the kitchen in search of coffee that _wasn't_ instant.

* * *

The unforgiving, winter air snapped at her bare hands and face as Kate fumbled for her car keys, wrenching the door open and sliding in quickly. Her eyes flicked to her watch as she revved the engine, hit down on the clutch and threw the gearstick into first. She swore under her breath, curving out into the road and slamming too hard on the accelerator, sending the car jerking forward then shuddering to a halt. Her next curse was loud and forceful as the impatient drone of car horns sounded behind her. Quickly, she restarted the car and glided forward, fingers gripping the wheel tightly as she began to swerve through the traffic, forever grateful for the Detective's badge nestled in the glove department.

As she ground to a stop at a red light, Kate realised that the nervous worrying of her bottom lip between her teeth and the patter of her fingers on the dashboard wasn't entirely to do with her lack of punctuality. She missed him. Already. Frowning, she tugged a hand through her hair, trying to make it look somewhat presentable. Reaching up she flicked down the visor and ran a critical eye over herself in the mirror. Her lipstick was gone without a trace and there was a dark smudge of eyeliner around her eyes making her look worryingly like a surprised panda. There was no way she could turn up at Doctor Burke's office like this. As the traffic crawled forward slowly, she licked her finger and began to roughly rub beneath her eyes. After a few pinches to her cheeks and some gloss over her lips, Kate felt slightly more human. All in all, she didn't look too bad considering she was in yesterday's clothes and hadn't showered. Though that probably had something to do with the ridiculous way her skin was shimmering. She'd heard of the 'sex glow' but she was practically radiating light.

Her grin slipped from her face as her eyes settled on the still vivid hickey that lingered on her throat. She really was going to kill him. Frantically, she glanced around the inside of her car, searching for something… _anything_ to hide the loud mark. She had no make up of any kind with her and even then she doubted the strongest of concealers would mask the garish thing. She almost whimpered with relief as she remembered the scarf that was stuffed into the glove compartment.

Finally, she squealed to a stop and practically flew out of the car, blindly locking the door behind her. As she raced past a coffee vendor Kate slid to a stop, almost crashing into the grumpy looking man in front of her. She may be late but there was no way she could face this session without a hearty injection of caffeine.

* * *

Castle tapped his fingers lightly on the marble countertop, building up a steady, albeit uneven beat as he hummed a noncommittal tune. The slight ding of the machine and the delicious smell that was already waking him up told him the coffee was ready. Absentmindedly, he fetched a mug and poured the dark liquid in sloppily, scorching droplets splashing onto his thumb. Swearing loudly, he sucked the wounded digit into his mouth and wrapped his uninjured hand around the warm ceramic.

Within a few moments, he was sauntering lazily towards the living area and flopping down carefully onto the couch, trying not to receive any other scaldings. Sipping delicately at his drink, Castle ran a hand through his hair and let his head drop back onto the cushions behind him. He had no idea what to do with himself. He felt restless. Anything he considered seemed banal and lonely. But he was used to this. So many of his previous, often shallow hobbies had paled in comparison to what he did with the guys at the 12th. What he did with _her_. Of course, now it was worst because the images and sensations of the past evening and morning were burned into the nerves of his brain. He could still feel her on his fingertips, taste her on the tip of his tongue, smell her on his skin… Sighing, he lurched to his feet, cradling the now lukewarm mug to chest as he began to pace around the loft. He was just so damn _restless._

* * *

Kate dropped effortlessly into the oh-so-familiar armchair, breathing in the now comforting smell of leather and old spice that tinged the air. She curled her legs up into her, resuming her usual position, fingers gusting over the small wooden statue on the table beside her, something that had become almost a ritual in their sessions. Truth was… she was consciously going out of her way to appear normal. She curled her fingers tightly around the warm foam of her coffee cup in an attempt to curb the trembles. Dr Burke sank into the chair opposite her, his long legs crossing, fingers coming together placidly on his lap as he gave her a long, considered look. She averted her gaze. The man was unnervingly adept at reading her after their long months together. In a way she didn't understand her anxiety. He knew her deepest, darkest secrets… he knew everything about her that no one else did and had discussed her feelings for Castle in exacting detail for long hours. So why was her heart beating a rumba inside her chest?

"You look well today Kate," the Doctor told her in his neutral, deep voice, eyes twinkling as he surveyed her. She bit her lip. He _knew._

"I feel good," she admitted, then she sighed and allowed herself to smile, her face splitting into a grin that she just couldn't keep in any longer. "Actually, I feel better than I have in as long as I can remember."

"I'm glad," he smiled warmly back. She waited for the inevitable question. It didn't come. She narrowed her eyes at his calm, patient expression. He was making her initiate the conversation.

"Castle and I…" she coughed, "we… well…" She trailed off, averting her gaze in embarrassment, hoping he would get the gist. He simply levelled his usual serene gaze at her. Waiting. What did he want her to say? _I fucked his brains out?_ Despite her best efforts, a tiny smile slipped past her tightly pressed lips.

"Yes?" he pushed her, face still maddeningly calm.

She glared at him, smile gone.

"We slept together."

* * *

When Castle had traced over every inch of floor space in the loft, he flopped back down to the couch, returning to where it had started. He stared at the clock directly opposite him. How long did therapy sessions usually take? Half an hour? An hour? She had said she would ring him. Would he seem needy if he rang her first? He should just wait for her… but what if she had second thoughts and never rang again? His breathing was heavier now as he pulled at his hair. He jumped to his feet again. He was being ridiculous. Acting like a teenager. He was a grown man. He had been married. _Twice._

This was Kate. She would ring… he nodded to himself.

She would ring.

* * *

"How do you feel about that?" he gave her a long, considered look. Otherwise he looked completely un-phased by her admission.

"Really Doc?" she snorted, "You're gonna go with that?" He gave her an indulgent smile but didn't reply, still waiting for an answer. She sighed. "I don't know."

"Why not? You said you felt better than you have for a while," he reminded her.

"I did… I _do_," she nodded slowly. Then sighed again.

"So what's the problem?" She hesitated, fingers picking at her jeans, dragging through her hair.

"Last night he told me something big. Huge. Something that he shouldn't have hidden from me," she looked up at him squarely, speaking quickly now.

"Regarding your mother's murder?" he guessed. Her stiff nod was almost imperceptible.

"He made decisions about _my_ life that weren't his to make."

"But that's not what's troubling you." This wasn't a question. She pulled her legs closer to herself.

"No."

* * *

Striding into his office, Castle slid into the plush chair and sank back heavily, feet propped up on the cool mahogany. He let his eyes flick around the room, lazily searching for something to do, dismissing each idea immediately as he had outside. Then his gaze settled on his laptop. He sighed and leaned forward, tugging it over his legs and into his lap where it buzzed softly. Flipping it open, he stretched and yawned while it emerged from sleep mode, screen lighting up in welcome. He tapped his password in and immediately it glowed brighter, bringing up what he had last been doing. It was a word document. A scene he had been working on between Nikki and Rook just before he had got the call from Beckett about the body thrown from the window- before the last few, tumultuous, insane days.

Castle ran a critical eye down the three paragraphs he had typed. He had been struggling with the scene. It was an argument. Born out of his frustrations of being around Kate, knowing he loved her… but also knowing she wasn't ready to hear it. The scene petered out by the last few lines. He had lost his anger he remembered… there was just hollowness. A lack of inspiration. But now… now there was hope. He allowed the memories of the last 24 hours to envelope his mind, turn his skin red hot and make his fingers tremble as he erased the entire scene. His lips quirked into a smirk as he began to type. Now he had _plenty_ of inspiration.

* * *

A fly buzzed against the window dejectedly, drawing Kate's attention to its plight as she tried to find the words for her abstract thoughts and the feelings she couldn't quite understand.

"Castle and I…. it's almost like for the last three and a half years we were both just waiting. Waiting for it to be the right time. As if it were inevitable," she told him with difficulty, grimacing as she realised that it didn't even make sense to herself.

"I never would have suspected that you believed in soul mates Kate," Dr Burke smiled softly, moving his hands gracefully to the rests of his chair.

"What?" she scrunched her face up, "no. I don't. No. That's not what I meant." He nodded, still smiling. She realised he was making a joke. She shook her head in disbelief, smirking back now. "Castle is _not_ my 'soul mate'," she laughed, then her smile became warmer, "but with him… it just feels _right_. It always has."

"So again Kate, what's the problem?" he asked, voice serious again, gaze searching.

"I'm scared," she almost whispered it.

"Of what?"

"That I'm going to destroy it."

* * *

Castle's fingertips flew across the keyboard. He knew the scene had to be littered with typos and spelling errors but he didn't care. His heart was racing and his mind was alive with emotions and memories. He had been told numerous times that the sex scenes between Nikki and Rook were intense. But those had been the product of fantasy- what he had imagined it would be like with Kate after years of verbal foreplay and the sexual tension that had always exploded and surged through the air when they built theory together. Yet even _his _imagination had _nothing_ on the reality. The passion and love that had swelled within him more than he thought possible through their long night and morning coursed through his fingers, flowing out of him in the way he knew best. Words, beautiful words- some that he had never used before then- crashed down onto the pages as he desperately tried to release it all. Sweat formed in tiny beads on his furrowed forehead as he tried to do justice to the feel of the curves of her body, the sound of her soft moans and the taste of her silky skin.

The sound of the front door opening and slamming tore into his frenzy, eyes snapping upwards away from the screen as his Mother sashayed towards the study. He slammed the laptop shut just as she swept through the doorway. No matter how old he was, writing a sex scene with his Mother nearby would always make him blush with guilt and embarrassment.

"Ah Richard," her face was formed into a grin that immediately made him narrow his eyes, "you're awake. _Finally_."

"What do you want Mother?" he quirked an eyebrow in anticipation.

"I was just wondering if Detective Beckett had left yet," she shrugged innocently as she slid onto the desk, crossing her legs and levelling him with the same knowing grin. His mouth popped open in shock.

"Wha- When- How did you know?" he spluttered, sitting up quickly.

"A Mother's intuition," she waved her hand nonchalantly. He narrowed his eyes. "Fine. I ran into the poor girl sneaking into the kitchen this morning."

"Ah," he muttered, fingers tugging through his hair.

"When exactly were you planning to tell me?" she raised her own eyebrow, shooting him the same look that had made him tremble as a child.

"I don't know," he admitted, "when we had figured all this out." He sighed.

"What is there to figure out?" she cried in exasperation, "you two have been dancing around each other for years! Now you can both be happy."

"It's not that simple," he mumbled, eyes casting downwards. He felt her hand wrap around his own as she sighed.

"I know, kid. It never is."

* * *

_A/N: Hope ya'll liked that. The next chapter should be up in a couple of days... fingers crossed. A massive thank you for all your lovely reviews and to everyone that has favourited and followed this story. I can't believe it has over 200 follows now! You're all the best. xx_


	9. Chapter 9: A Compromising Situation

_A/N: Something fluffy and humorous after a bit of angst. Not my favourite chapter but hope you guys enjoy it! _

* * *

The drone of traffic buzzed in her ear as Beckett pressed her forehead into the cool rubber of the steering wheel. Her legs jiggled, softly knocking her knees into the rim of it. Abruptly, she sat up and tugged a hand through her still damp hair, grabbing her phone with the other. Before she could second-guess herself, she swiped it open and hit the speed dial. It felt like it rang forever, each tone dragged and stretched out.

"Hi," he answered softly. She grinned as she heard his voice, chest swelling.

"What? No goofy answer?" She chuckled, relaxing back against the seat.

"I might be running out of those," his voice lightened. She could feel him smiling and her own beam widened.

"Come on Castle, you never run out of ways to be goofy."

"What can I say? My imagination is boundless," he countered. They lapsed into silence for a moment. "You rang," he sighed finally. His voice was permeated with relief. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. She didn't want him to have that kind of doubt... she just didn't know how to prove it to him. Prove to him that she was there to stay.

"Of course," she murmured softly.

"Where are you?" he hurried on.

"In my car."

"Where?"

"Outside," she grinned.

"Very funny, outside where?"

"Outside the loft," she rolled her eyes. He was silent for a moment.

"Why?" he questioned suddenly. Her smile faltered.

"Should I leave?"

"No! No, I meant why are you in your car and not in here?" he laughed. The hurt that had filtered in drained away.

"I'll be up in a second," she grinned, pushing the door open hastily.

"I can't wait."

She hurried through into the building, relishing the warmth and waving to the doorman.

"Do you want to hang up then?" she laughed.

"I thought you were going to hang up."

"This is ridiculous, we're not teenagers."

"Then just hang up," he challenged. Kate slipped into the lift, pressing the button frantically.

"Fine, I will," she went silent, pressing her lips together tightly to hold back the mirth.

"I can hear you breathing," he chuckled after a few seconds. With a peal of laughter she hung up and rapped lightly on the heavy door.

It swung open a moment later to reveal Castle, dressed in pyjamas and a robe, hair mussed and face beaming.

"You're just in time for dinner," he announced as he stepped back to let her pass, "hope you're hungry. Mother's made quite a feast." He helped her out of her jacket as he rambled on. As soon as he had hung it carefully on one of the pegs, he made to lead her to the kitchen. With a huff, Kate reached out and hooked one hand around his elbow and the other around his neck. In one fluid motion she swung him back round and brought her body towards his, pressing herself against him as she rose on her tip-toes and captured his mouth in a deep kiss. She sunk into him as he slipped an arm around her waist and her fingers tangled in his hair.

"Woah," he exhaled as she pulled back, bumping their noses together, "what was that for?"

"I missed you," she smiled against his lips, rolling his earlobe gently between her fingers.

"Yeah?" he whispered, kissing her softly.

"Yeah," she traced the seam of his mouth with the tip of her tongue then bit down on his lower lip, drawing a soft gasp from him. As he tried to draw her closer, she danced away, dodging his grip and flicking her hair at him with a smirk.

"What's for dinner? I'm _starving_," she sauntered towards the kitchen. Pausing, she glanced back over her shoulder, eyebrow raised. "You coming Castle?"

He stood there for a moment, fingers pressed to his lips, eyes wide. Then with a grin he hurried after her.

Kate faltered as she neared the kitchen. In her haste to tease Castle, she hadn't quite considered the fact that his family was here. That Martha at least _knew_… and there was every chance Alexis did too. In a moment he was by her side, hand squeezing her hip comfortingly as he steered her forward. She leant into him, letting him ground her. He always had.

"Detective Beckett!" Martha's copper curls appeared from behind the counter, followed by her beaming face as she rose, an elaborate dish gripped in her hands. Kate eyed it warily for a moment. Her experience of meals in the Castle household had taught her that the matriarch's cooking was more than a little unpredictable.

"Martha," she smiled nervously, "that smells fantastic." In truth it did.

"I didn't know you would be joining us," the older woman admitted, absentmindedly slapping away her son's hand from the food.

"I'm sorry… I know it's short notice. Is that ok?"

"Of course, of course! The more the merrier," she beamed, spinning away to the stove.

"What's for dinner Gram? It smells amazing," Alexis came swinging down the stairs, bouncing and grinning. She faltered as she spotted Kate sat uncertainly on a stool. "Detective Beckett! Hi!"

"Hey Alexis," Kate smiled softly. She relaxed a little as she watched Alexis bound up to her father and press a kiss to his cheek before hopping away to help her grandmother. It seemed the girl knew nothing. Not yet at least.

"You ok?" Castle murmured in her ear. She started, not noticing him slide up behind her. She let herself relax back against him for a moment, a content hum in the back of her throat as he nuzzled his nose into her hair, his fingers rubbing soft circles on her waist.

"I'm fine Castle," she gave him a reassuring smile as he slipped into the chair beside her.

"Richard, make yourself useful! Lay the table," Martha called across the room.

"I'm being a good host," he whined, "I'm entertaining the guest." Kate stifled a giggle as he smirked lecherously at her.

"I'll help," she hopped to her feet.

The meal went easier than Kate had imagined and by the time the starters were being cleared away, she had no idea why she had been so apprehensive. In reality it was no different to any other time she had eaten at the Castle household. It was something she had always enjoyed. They were so free and joyful, shouting over each other and teasing. Castle and Alexis messed around, playing with their food or pulling silly faces while Martha tried fruitlessly to hold some dignity about the affair. It was so different from the quiet meals she had with her father. It reminded her of a different time.

"You've outdone yourself Mother," Castle announced as they lay down their dessertspoons.

"That was fantastic," Kate agreed, leaning back in her seat, feeling warm and content. That had something to do with Castle's hand rubbing a gentle path across her thigh under the table.

"I try my best," Martha shrugged modestly, topping up everyone's wine glasses.

"Well, after all that hard work, we'll tidy up here," he stretched, clambering to his feet. "You too Alexis," he called to the girl's retreating back. She turned with a sheepish expression.

"I would… but I just have _so_ much reading to do for Lanie tomorrow," she reasoned. He sighed.

"Fine, fine. Go," he waved his hand, laughing.

"I think I shall excuse myself too," Martha stood with a flourish and with what Kate could have sworn was a wink; swept out, wine glass in hand.

"Sorry to get you stuck with clearing up," Castle smiled sheepishly, "if you want you can just sit while I get this done. It won't take long."

"I want to help," she smiled, stacking up the plates around her. Together they carried the piles of empty dishes through into the kitchen.

"I'll wash, you dry," he threw her a towel and she caught it deftly, watching him with an amused smile. He glanced at her, arms deep in soapy water. "What?"

"Nothing," she grinned, hopping up onto the counter beside him, "just refreshing to see you so… domestic."

"I'm a highly evolved male," he chuckled, "you should see me work a washer dryer."

"Oh, that's _hot_," she teased, taking the first of the clean plates from him to dry. He paused, eyebrow raised.

"What if I did it with my shirt off?"

"How about you forego clothes altogether?" she smirked, tongue curling behind her teeth.

He grinned; shuffling in front of her and nudging her legs open with his hips.

"That could be arranged," his soapy hands trailed up her arms, mouth grazing her jaw. Beckett sighed at the feel of his lips on her skin. It had only been a few hours but it felt like days. Her fingers curled tightly around the fabric of his t-shirt, tugging him closer with a soft moan as their lips met. Castle's strong hands came up to tangle in her hair, gently nudging her head backwards so he could dip his tongue into her mouth, coaxing yet another quiet groan from her. Her legs wrapped tightly around him, yanking him closer still, jarring their hips together.

"Oh my god," the sound ripped into their frenzy and Castle tore himself away, heart hammering. He knew that voice. Alexis stood a few feet away, eyes wide, face red, an empty glass clutched in her trembling hand. "I'm sorry- I- uh- I was just getting some water- I uh- I'll go. Sorry." With that she span round and fled, leaving the pair flustered and shocked. Castle stood there, silent, mouth agape for long, long moments.

"No," he groaned, "no, no, no." He tore at his hair. Kate sat on the counter awkwardly, trying to sort out her clothes. She didn't know what to say. "No, no, no, no, no…" He chanted again, hands over his face. Slipping down onto the tiled floor, Kate padded cautiously over to him. Carefully, she smoothed a hand over his shoulder. He stiffened slightly at her touch then relaxed into her caress. Relieved, she slipped her arms around his waist, pressing her forehead into his chest.

"That was not how I would have chosen for her to find out about us," he muttered. Her heart thrilled a little at the mention of 'us'. _Focus on the issue at hand Kate._

"It wasn't ideal… no," she admitted, and then she blushed as she remembered exactly the kind of compromising position they had been in when they were discovered. His groan told her he recalled all too well too.

"I need to talk to her," he sighed, gently pulling her arms from around him. She nodded.

"I should go."

"No," his hand curled around her wrist and he widened his eyes at her, "don't go. Please." She smiled as she nodded again. Of course she'd stay. He stared at his fingers on her arm for a few seconds; thumb pressed against the pulse point, letting the steady thrum calm him. Then he sighed, nodded and steeled his resolve.

"Here I go," he chuckled humourlessly, letting her go and turning slowly to make his way to the stairs. Kate watched him go silently, and then shook her head. Making out with Castle in his kitchen had _not_ been her finest hour.

* * *

_A/N: Perhaps not the most original way for Alexis to find out... but it just sort of happened. Also, I wanted to create a scenario, even a small one, to show that Beckett isn't going to just run at the first sign of trouble. Let me know what you thought. I love all your reviews- they're my biggest inspiration. :)_


	10. Chapter 10: You Heard Me

The floorboards creaked beneath his hesitant steps and he winced at each groan of old wood, dreading every movement that brought him closer to a conversation he didn't want to have. A thin beam of light fell out onto the rug, escaping through the crack of the door where he paused, jaw tensed, eyes partly squinted. _Stop it_. He berated himself. _This is Alexis. It's just Alexis. You can do this. You're the _cool_ Dad. _His heavy breath broke the silence as he steeled himself, hand rising to the smooth, painted wood. _You've had conversations like this before. You've had girlfriends before. _He nodded, trying to relax. _She's never caught you desecrating the kitchen counter with any of those girlfriends. _His eyes flickered closed. _Shut up. _He shoved a hand through his hair in frustration. Now he was arguing with himself. Great.

"Dad, you can come in you know," Alexis' voice floated out. She sounded amused. That was a good sign. Right?

"Hey Honey," he smiled, poking his head into the room, his body nervously following suit. Alexis was sat on the bed, propped up against numerous cushions, and with legs curled up to the side.

"Hey," she murmured, eyes trained downwards on the heavy medical tome balanced on her lap. Castle inched forward until his knees bumped softly into the edge of bed. Still Alexis wouldn't look at him. He noted the pink tinge to her fair cheeks and he sighed. Crossing the final distance around the bed, he sank down onto the covers beside her. With a deep breath, Castle dove right into it.

"Alexis, I'm really sorry that you saw that," he began slowly. "It was irresponsible of me... and I'm sorry that that was the way you had to find out about Kate and I."

Finally she glanced up. He took that as a sign to power on. "Now I understand that you're embarrassed and probably even angry or upset… I completely get-"

"Dad, dad!" the young girl cut him off, shaking her head. "We don't need to do this. It's fine."

"Yes. Yes, we do need to do this," he countered, "I know you're trying to be mature about it, but-"

"That's not it," she laughed, cutting him off and making his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Then she sighed. "You're right, it _was_ embarrassing." She shuddered for effect, drawing a smile from her Dad. "But why would I be angry? Or upset? I've known that you and Detective Beckett are more than friends for a _while _Dad." Castle did a double take at his daughter's smug expression.

"Honey," he raised his hands, "we _have_ only been friends until very recently. As in as recently as the past couple of days."

"Could've fooled anyone," she quirked an eyebrow. Castle narrowed his eyes. Then he laughed, a real full-hearted laugh. Alexis tried to dodge his attempt ruffle her hair. "So you guys _are_ together now then?" she asked suddenly, seriously.

"Yes," he affirmed, then paused, "I think so."

"You think so?"

"It's still early stages," he smiled, "but I'm glad you're okay with this."

"I can't believe you thought I wouldn't be okay with it," she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Sometimes I forget that you're an old soul," he leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. With that, he stood again, heading for the door. As he passed through the doorway and turned to shut the door, Alexis called to him again.

"Dad?"

"Yeah pumpkin?"

"I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks sweetheart," he smiled softly.

"But Dad?"

"Mmm?"

"_Please_ no more PDA in the kitchen? We prepare food in there!"

"Goodnight Alexis!" he cried, shutting the door quickly, laughing as he strode away.

* * *

Kate watched the last of the wine trickle out of the bottle's mouth, the deep red liquid staining the glass as she listened to the footsteps approaching slowly. Turning, she glanced up at him furtively, trying to gage the situation as she held out a glass to him. Castle took it gratefully, eyes widening as he gazed around the kitchen.

"Kate, woah, you didn't have to clean up," he scolded her gently. Lolling back against the counter with one arm across her stomach, she shrugged, wine glass resting against her cheek.

"I needed something to do," she admitted, smiling through her nervousness. He nodded, returning the small smile as he took a large gulp of the wine. She watched him, worried, not wanting to pry. Finally, he sighed.

"It's fine," he murmured, "with Alexis. Like always, she was frighteningly mature about it."

"And you're absolutely certain she's your daughter?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood a little, relief flooding her voice. It worked, drawing a crooked grin from him.

"My official theory is that mine and Meredith's irresponsible genes reacted to create the opposite," he laughed, moving towards her slowly. She watched him come closer with heavy lidded eyes, her entire body buzzing in anticipation of his proximity.

"The science behind that sounds a little sketchy," she breathed, trying to keep the to and fro going with difficulty as he crowded her into the counter, not quite touching her, heat from his skin radiating across hers. His knowing smirk infuriated her. She wanted him to _touch_ her. Castle let his hands slip onto the counter on either side of her body, smirk widening to a grin as she began to arch involuntarily into him. He held back, keeping them millimetres apart, fighting the urge to surround her. His fingers tightened on the cool marble as he slowly leant his head down, letting his warm breath curl around her lips as they parted slightly, beckoning him in.

Beckett's free hand skimmed lightly across the skin of his neck, leaving a red-hot trail as it grazed upwards. With a soft sound in the back of his throat, Castle tipped his head further down, attempting to close the distance. Her fingers had tangled tightly in his hair and she firmly held his head still as his lips came into near contact with hers, mirroring their parting. Now he made a sound of confusion and frustration as she held their mouths so close he could feel the tantalising heat of her breath along his tongue.

"I don't think we want your Mother coming across us too," she murmured, the soft movement of her lips brushing ever so lightly against his. Groaning, he pulled back.

"Stop being so irresistible," he muttered as she pressed her face into his throat, muffling her laughter. He let his mouth and nose nuzzle into her hair, breathing her in.

"You showered." It was almost an accusation. Waiting all day for her to ring had been torture, the seconds edging by like eternity.

"I think you could do with one of those," she smirked, scrunching her nose in mock distaste.

"Only if you join me," he leered down at her, hands circling her waist.

"In your dreams Castle," she snorted.

"Oh-so-many of my dreams have come true in the last twenty-four hours," he pointed out, sliding his hips forward to meet hers.

"I've already showered," she chuckled, "another time."

"I'm going to remind you about that," he promised, fingers curling into the waistband of her jeans, tugging her away from the counter with him.

"I hope so," she moved with him, letting his strong hands steer her out of the kitchen and towards the study.

As they shuffled awkwardly through the door, neither willing to let the other go, Kate took in the state of his desk, laptop open, scrunched up paper and coffee mugs littered across it. Her eyes widened in wonder.

"Were you writing?" she breathed, filling with excitement as she imagined him sitting there, writing those beautiful words that had pulled her out of the darkest places.

"I was _very_ inspired earlier," he smirked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. She turned quickly to look at him, teeth tugging at her lower lip.

"Oh, really?" she grinned, arms curving up to hook around his neck, pulling his head down to catch his mouth in a brief kiss.

"You were very… muse-y last night," his eyes glinted with something that made heat blossom in her stomach, "So Nikki and Rook had a somewhat similar…" His lips grazed the length of her jaw, pausing at her ear, "experience."

"Can I read it?"

"Sure, when it's published," he chuckled. Annoyed, she nudged him away with her hip. "Hey!" he protested, trying to grab for her as she shimmied out of reach. "I thought you didn't like spoilers?"

"I don't," she admitted, backing towards the bedroom door.

"You just _really_ want to read a Nikki and Rook sex scene don't you?" he smirked, prowling after her, "I _knew_ you were turned on by the one in 'Heat Wave'." Pausing just past the doorway, she levelled him with a sultry gaze, tongue curling behind her upper teeth as she let her eyes drop from his face, slowly tracing down his body to his groin, then flicking up again.

"You have _no idea_," she purred.

His body collided with hers with a soft _thump_, causing her to shriek and laugh as he careened them down onto the bed.

"_You_ have no idea how often I've fantasised about _you_ fantasising about us," he growled, mouth pressing hot, damp kisses to her throat and jaw.

"Oh, I think I can imagine," she grinned, letting her eyes flicker shut in ecstasy as she arched her head up, giving him better access. Then she frowned and paused, fingers tugging at his earlobes, pulling his face away from her skin.

"What?"

"I wasn't kidding about the shower," she told him seriously, eyebrows arched. Muttering, he clambered off of her and pulled his t-shirt up, taking a tentative sniff.

"That might be a good idea," he assented finally, pulling a face. "Will you be here when I get out?"

"I'm not going anywhere," she grinned, spreading herself lazily over the bed to emphasise the point. With a last, hungry perusal of her body, he turned quickly and raced into the bathroom. Kate let herself lie languidly on the silky sheets for a few moments, breathing him in, a soft smile playing at her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this… content. Her entire body thrummed with joy yet she was relaxed… calm. Cocking her head to listen to the sound of the steady rush of the shower filtering in from the bathroom, she licked her lips slowly, imagining the hot water streaming down his naked body, the steam curling around his broad shoulders… the delicious curve of his ass. Smirking, she slipped off of the bed and to her feet, fingers tugging the hem of her shirt up and overhead, letting it pool onto the floor behind her as she stalked forward.

* * *

"Kate?" Castle called as he wrapped a towel around his waist, hooking it together not-so-securely. Silence. Confused, trying to force the worry away, he grabbed another towel and headed out into the bedroom, vigorously rubbing his hair dry. He paused just past the doorway, taking in the empty room. Just as his insecurities creeped in, as he began to let himself believe that she had left, his eyes settled on her top, discarded and crumpled on the floor. Glancing up towards the study, he grinned as he spotted her jeans a few feet away, then gasped, hurrying forward. Hanging enticingly from the door handle was a black lacy bra. His fingers brushed over the soft material as he curled them around the handle and, holding himself together, pushed the door open.

"About time," she huffed, and he barely had time to raise his hand and catch the thing she threw at him. His eyes widened and travelled from the sheer, black panties dangling from his fingers to her, in all her nude glory, perched on the corner of his desk, legs crossed as she surveyed him with lust burned into her eyes.

"You're naked," he grinned, his eyes darkening as he stalked slowly towards her.

"Nice to see your years working with Detectives have rubbed off," she rolled her eyes, "but why aren't you naked?" Her eyes flicked to his towel, frowning softly. Smirking, he hooked a finger under the damp material and yanked gently, unravelling it and tossing it aside.

"Much better," she murmured, sliding down from the desk. She trailed her gaze down from his face, lingering on the soft water drops clinging to his broad chest. She watched as one dislodged itself and trickled slowly down over the firm muscles until it disappeared in the dark trail of hair below his belly button. Kate closed the distance, still intent on those water droplets, her head ducking down so she could suck each one from the flushed, feverish skin, rolling her tongue over every piece her mouth marked. His fingers gusted up the length of her arm to her shoulder where he brushed the soft curls aside, replacing them with his lips, kissing each little freckle that he had discovered the night before.

Her own hands curved down his back, fingers leaving imprints on his skin as she stroked them over his firm ass cheeks, grinning against his throat. She would never admit to him just how often she checked out his ass… or how hot beneath the collar she got when he showed up at the precinct in those jeans that just cupped it perfectly. They also created a _very_ pleasing display of something else that was currently digging impatiently into her hipbone. With a smirk, she traced one hand round his hips, bringing it down between them. His gasp was loud in the heavy silence as her fingers wrapped tightly around his shaft, squeezing firmly. She moved backwards slowly, her hand keeping its tight grip on him, forcing him to move with her, his eyes wide with arousal when they met hers. As they snaked around the large desk, she rotated him carefully until the back of his legs bumped into the soft leather of the chair. Releasing him finally, she slipped her hands up his trembling body and curled them around his shoulders, pressing down hard, knocking him backwards into the seat.

Castle stared up at her, his wide, sapphire eyes smouldering with lust and awe as she bent towards him, hair brushing across his shoulders and cheeks. She grazed her lips across his, tongue tracing the seam until he opened them for her, letting her in, breathing her in. The chair creaked as she raised her legs, one by one, to either side of him, trapping his thighs between hers. His hand came up, gusting the length of the inside of her thigh. A harsh moan caught in her throat as his thumb dragged through her soaking folds in one swift motion before his index finger slipped inside her. She gasped against his mouth, back arching sharply as he curled the finger deep inside, thumb pressing hard against her throbbing clit. When a second finger was thrust within her, she dropped her face heavily to his shoulder, mewling softly as he built a steady rhythm. Kate arched higher again, head thrown back in ecstasy, a choked cry of pleasure ripping from her lips as his own closed around her nipple and his tongue flicked the stiff bud.

His fingers slipped out of her, one by one with soft _pops_ and she growled in discontent, mourning the connection. Reaching down, she curled her hand around his wrist, raising his fingers into the faint light where they glistened with her arousal, proof of just how badly she wanted him. _Needed_ him. Through dark eyelashes he watched, his heart thudding maddeningly inside his chest as her hypnotic eyes held his gaze and her bee-stung lips slipped down the length of his index finger.

"God, _Kate,_" his voice was harsh, ragged, exploding through the tension-soaked silence as she let the digit slip from her lips, teeth grazing the soft skin. His hands slid down to grip her hips tightly as she lowered them down to meet his, their eyes fluttering shut in unison as he sunk deeply within her. They paused for long moments; entirely still save for the shaky, harsh gasps that racked their damp bodies.

Finally, her eyes quivered open to meet his, already wide and wild, drinking in her face. Beneath his trembling fingers, Castle felt the firm muscles of her thighs tense and flux as she lifted herself up until barely a breadth kept them connected. Eyes locked tightly, they each inhaled deeply as one. Their muffled cries of elation filled the dim room as she slammed back down onto him, fingers tugging roughly at his hair, ears and skin. His hands slid upwards, digging into the soft flesh of her ass, taking control, lifting her high and surging his hips up to meet her. They moved fluidly together, a rolling motion of hips and hands and the soft smack of skin against damp skin. He surged into her again and again until his name became a curse on her lips, chanted out as if in worship, driving him on further and longer and harder. Her eyes were up on the ceiling but all she saw was light as her body shook with a building tsunami of ecstasy that threatened to burst from her very pores.

Just as he felt her body begin to shudder with tension, her eyes losing all focus, Castle clamped his hands back onto her hips and slowed their bodies to a complete stop. She swore loudly, desperately trying to gyrate down onto his pelvis, but he held her firmly.

"Castle, don't you dare…" she growled at him. He darted upwards, capturing her snarling mouth with his and she sunk her teeth into his lip, fingernails scrabbling at his back. "Don't you dare stop." The pain erupted something inside him and he started again, pounding relentlessly into her, their heads thrown backwards in unified ecstasy, soaring upwards together until in one shattering moment they crashed through into oblivion.

Kate collapsed down onto his chest, arms limply thrown over his quivering shoulders as she drew in a rough gasp of cool air. His own arms slipped up her sweaty body, enveloping her within them as she lowered her forehead to his, pressing them tightly together.

"Castle…" she breathed, words failing her for the moment. She had never realised how much energy it took to speak. "If I didn't love you so much right now I would probably kill you for that stunt you pulled." She frowned as she felt him tense beneath her. "What?" she opened her eyes to find his wide and sparkling, millimetres from her own.

"If you didn't _what?_" his entire body hummed now as she narrowed her eyes in confusion. Then her lips popped open in a silent '_oh'. _Suddenly she was grinning against his mouth, kissing him deeply and repeatedly until neither of them could breathe.

"Yeah, you heard me," she murmured against his lips. Then she was crying out in surprise as he flew from the chair, lifting her with him. She wrapped her legs around his hips instinctively, stopping herself from hitting the ground. "What are you _doing_?"

"I'm taking you to my bed where I plan to make love to you until you say it again," he whooped as they careened into the bedroom. The solid thud of the door shutting behind them echoed in the silent loft.

* * *

_A/N: Hope you all liked it. This chapter took me too long to get out. I think this story is definitely drawing to a close. There'll be one, maybe two more chapters at most. I've really loved writing this and loved all your support and kind words, but I may have dragged this one out a little now. I still need to deal with Kate's secret coming out so it's not quite over yet! :) I have a big idea for a much longer story brewing and I can't wait to get started on that and see what you all think. Happy Castle Monday for tomorrow (wooo Gina Torres!) and I'll try and have the next chapter up soon. xx_


	11. Chapter 11: In Trouble

_A/N: I cannot apologise enough for how long it's been. I realised today that over a month had passed since I updated this story last and I couldn't believe it. Uni has been domineering my life recently. So, sorry again for the extreme lateness of this and I hope you enjoy! _

* * *

"Beckett." she croaked into the darkness. With a cough to clear her sleep-numbed throat, she tried again. "Beckett." Castle stirred sluggishly beside her, one bleary eye peering at the faint, neon numbers on the alarm clock as Esposito's muffled voice came through her phone. A little past four AM. Her curt, quick answers told him enough. There was a body. With an over-enthusiastic stretch and a wide yawn, he tumbled out of the bed.

"Right, and where's the witness now?" Kate questioned, sounding entirely professional and not all like she was gazing at Castle's backside as he shuffled towards the wardrobe. Minutes later, he leant over the bed to press a silent kiss into her rumpled hair. She smiled softly up at him distractedly. With a returned dopey grin, he turned and padded away towards the kitchen to start the coffee.

* * *

"Mmm, thanks," Beckett murmured as she slipped her fingers around the warm, porcelain mug, brushing his gently in the process.

"What have we got?" Castle leant back against the counter, rubbing the gritty remnants of sleep from his eyes.

"Caucasian female, mid to late twenties, no ID, single gunshot wound to the head," she rattled off the bare facts. That's all that murderers reduced their victims to. Police lingo and statistics… but together they gave them back their stories. Gave them back their humanity.

"What?" he smiled, bemused at by look she was giving him. It was fierce and proud, yet oddly soft and warm at the same time.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," she grinned into the rim of her cup, "but thank you for not giving up… at the beginning." He nodded. He understood.

"Don't thank me too much," he chuckled, pulling her forward to where her body slipped easily in between the grooves of his hips, "I was so persistent back then because I wanted to get into your pants." His thumb slipped slowly beneath the waistband of said clothing.

"Back then?" she quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, now… now I _also_ stick around because I don't know what you'd do without me."

"I'd probably have less migraines," she shot at him as she backed away with a smirk. Turning, Kate grabbed her coat and made for the door, slinging it up and on as she went.

"Where do you think you're going?" she turned suddenly, long finger pressing into his chest as he came to an abrupt stop behind her.

"Going to the crime scene...?"

"Not with me you're not."

"Why not?" he demanded. Kate's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"We _cannot_ turn up a crime scene at 5am _together_," her finger darted between them, "what would the others think? No, you can wait here for five minutes. Then get a cab."

"You are _way_ overthinking this!" he protested, "The crime scene is a few blocks from _me_. In normal circumstances, you would have swung by to pick me up on the way." Her eyes narrowed further. "If anything, the boys will think it's weird that you _didn't_ pick me up." His own eyes widened innocently.

"Fine," she huffed, turning and stalking out the door, "but do not even think about groping me in the car."

* * *

Kate stretched her aching muscles slowly, working the kink out of her neck and forcing her gaze away from the murder board. The sun had long risen, filtering through the regulation blinds and shrouding the bullpen in a pale, winter afternoon light. She cast a glance at Castle who was clumsily trying to mould a blank witness statement sheet into a complicated paper airplane, his large fingers fumbling at the folds, face screwed up in concentration. Ryan sat a few feet away, hunched over his computer, tapping away at who knew what. The arrival of Esposito drew all their heads up, a flicker of hope mirrored on each of their faces.

"Anything?" Beckett called as he approached the desks.

"Nope," he sighed heavily, dropping into his chair, "no DNA or fingerprint matches. She's not in our system or any other so far." As one they slumped backwards. Kate exhaled sharply, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. Her long fingers came up to massage her throbbing temples. Nearly nine hours had passed since they had arrived at crime scene. They had nothing. Zilch. Nada. Not a trace of evidence to be found in the alleyway where the body was found and no way of identifying their victim.

"Wahey!" Castle's exclamation jerked into her thoughts and she glanced up just in time to see the paper airplane sore towards her before sharply nose-diving onto the paperwork on the desk. "Ah." He shot her a sheepish grin. Despite her tiredness, her frustration and the headache that thudded against her inner-skull she couldn't help but smile softly, shaking her head as she gently picked up the crumpled thing.

"I'm gonna make some coffee," he announced, bouncing out of his chair. How he could maintain that kind of energy was beyond her. Still smiling, she looked up to find Espo watching her, his eyebrow raised as his gaze flicked to the airplane and back. Hastily, she wiped the smile from her face and cleared her throat, dropping the glider into the wastebasket by her feet. She could feel sweat beads forming on her forehead, her throat flushed with heat beneath the thin scarf. Sighing with relief as she unwound it and slung it across the back of her chair, Kate leant back and closed her eyes, pressing her fingertips into the lids.

"_Beckett, _is that a hickey?" Esposito's eyebrows shot up. She froze, her eyes opening slowly in horror. Beside him Ryan stiffened and immediately swivelled round, gliding his chair forward. Together they cocked their heads and stared at the exposed area.

"No! _No,_" she snapped, hand slapping to the offending mark immediately.

"As a trained Detective I am gonna say that was, without a doubt, a hickey," Esposito nodded, pouting his lips smugly, "do you agree Ryan?"

"I would say you have detected correctly," Ryan nodded to his partner.

"Definitely a hickey."

"Most definitely." They nodded and smirked in unison, oblivious to Beckett's dangerously narrowing eyes. Then she huffed and sighed in surrender.

"Fine, yes, it is," she growled, angrily beginning to needlessly shuffle paper work on her deck, "but that's not any of your business."

"That thing is so big it's everybody's business," Esposito countered.

"Come on Beckett, who is he?" Ryan demanded as they leant forward.

"Do we know him?" Esposito pushed.

"No." Her answer was too quick, too see-through. The smirking increased ten-fold.

"It's that Doctor guy again isn't it?" Ryan exclaimed.

"No!"

"It's not Sorenson is it?" Esposito groaned.

"Can we please just focus on the case?" she gritted. Of course, it was just then that Castle returned, sauntering towards them with two cups of coffee in his hands, whistling merrily. She couldn't help it, her eyes flicked up at him and she could feel the blood coursing towards her cheeks. Ryan followed her gaze and his eyes widened as they flicked between the pair.

"Ow. Dude," Esposito grumbled as Ryan's hand shot out and grabbed his arm tightly.

"It's Castle," he gasped. Esposito followed their gaze just as the writer shot a grin towards them all.

"So?" he shook his partner's hand off, exasperated, starting to turn back to Beckett. Then he froze. "No way."

Castle approached the trio with a jaunty bounce to his step. He may he exhausted and they may have met a thousand dead ends on the case already… but he had spent the last two nights with Kate Beckett and not even the worst case in the world could quash the lightness in him.

"Anything new?" he queried cheerily. Then his step faltered. Esposito and Ryan were staring at him with their mouths slightly open, their faces masks of almost blank disbelief. But it was a glance at Beckett that stopped him dead in his tracks. Her fisted hands were slightly raised in front of her, lips crushed into a thin line and eyes wide as they met his perplexed gaze.

"You gave Beckett that hickey," Esposito's voice was almost accusatory.

"I wish," Castle laughed loudly, too loudly. "What hickey… I mean." He coughed.

"You two…" Ryan shook his head slowly, "I mean we always thought… but then… well." He shrugged.

"How long exactly has this been going on?" Esposito motioned between them. Castle stood there, the warm coffee cups shaking slightly in his hands.

"There isn't anything going on," he insisted. Even to his own ears it sounded weak. Pleading even.

"_Seriously_? You two?" Ryan ignored him.

"Shhhhh!" Kate finally recovered enough to hiss at them, eyes darting warningly towards Gates' office. "Can we please not do this right now? We have a case that we need to focus on. Okay?"

"Were you ever planning on telling us?" Espo whispered. Ryan shook his head again, disapproving now. Her hands came up to her eyes again for a moment.

"Look, can you two just go see Lanie. See if she's found anything."

"She would have rung if she had," Ryan pointed out. He snapped his mouth shut as she directed a death stare at him. "No right, Lanie. Yep, good idea." He stomped down on his partner's foot as Esposito opened his own mouth to argue. "Come on Espo," Ryan shot out of his chair, tugging him along. He followed reluctantly; shooting looks back at them until the elevator doors shut, hiding them from view. The remaining two were silent for long, achingly slow moments. Suddenly, Kate jerked her chair back, the metallic scrape slicing through the soft murmur of the bullpen. Castle looked down at the now lukewarm coffees in his hand, gulped, and then chased after her.

He shut the break room door carefully behind him, surreptitiously peering through the thin cracks in the blinds, checking there was no one heading over. Kate was leant over the counter, face in her hands, lean body rigid with tension. Silently, he placed the cups down and cautiously moved towards her. His large hands slid over her shoulders, fingers working at the tightly coiled muscles as they slid slowly down her arms. Her eyes flickered shut as she started to give in to the feeling, shifting back against his body, allowing him to calm her. Then she took a deep breath and her head was clear again. With a frustrated growl, Kate yanked out of the reach of his arms.

"What are you doing? Do you want the whole precinct to know too?" she snapped furiously at him. He gave her a guarded look.

"Don't you think you're over…"

"Don't you dare say I'm over-reacting," she gritted through her teeth. Every frustration from the already long day boiled over and out in an angry hiss.

"I'm just saying… we were going to have to tell them eventually," he raised his hands, "and everyone here are our friends."

"Oh, okay then, right. Let's just go and make out in Gates' office then shall we?" she snapped, "or better yet. Why don't we have sex on her desk?" Her voice shot up an octave. Crossing her arms tightly, she cleared her throat, breathed deeply again. This wasn't her.

"That may be a little dramatic," he smirked, sensing her slightly calmer demeanour.

"Castle," she moved towards him, "don't you get it? Inter-department relationships are _forbidden_. If Gates gets wind of this… that's it… friends with the mayor or not- we'd be _done_." He paused for a long moment, handsome face contorted as he considered this information. Finally, he sighed scratching his jaw lightly.

"Okay, I get it, we keep this quiet- but really, you didn't think we'd be able to keep this from the guys did you?"

"I wasn't thinking that far ahead," she admitted. An almost imperceptible shadow passed over his features. Anyone but her might have missed it. "I just mean… I was hoping we'd have some time to just enjoy this," her hand waved between the two of them; "figure this out before we had to explain ourselves to anyone."

"Right…" he nodded slowly, "but that's out of our hands now. Ryan and Espo aren't stupid and they'll know what's at stake. It'll be fine."

"I know," she nodded, sighing, her body relaxing as she slumped back against the counter. "But what _do_ we say?" He gave her long considered look.

"What do you want to say?"

"What do _you _want to say?" she bit her lip, eyes searching his face. Castle chuckled.

"I want to tell them that we're together. That it's still early stages but that yes we're _together_," he moved towards her slowly, eyes serious, "this isn't just a fling for me."

"Me neither," she grinned. He visibly sagged with relief. "Hey! You think I'd risk our partnership for a couple of great nights?" she teased.

"I don't know," he smirked, moving in closer still, hands reaching, "they were pretty amazing."

"Still in the precinct Castle," she raised an eyebrow.

"Right," he hastily backed away, shoving his fists into his pockets to fight the temptation.

"So, when they get back from Lanie… we tell them right?" Castle asked, "Ow, ow!" Beckett had flown forward, grabbing his arm tightly, her fingers digging in hard.

"_Lanie_," she hissed, eyes wide. With scarily uncanny timing, her phone began to buzz in her pocket, making them both jump. They stared at each other as she dug it out of her jeans and as one their gazes flicked down to the face of the M.E that beamed up at them. Thumb tapping the green icon, Kate closed her eyes and brought the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Girl, you are in _so_ much trouble."


End file.
